Photocatalytic CO 2 Reduction Coupled With Alcohol Oxidation Over Cu‐NH 2 ‐BDC MOF Under Visible Light Irradiation

ABSTRACT The present paper reports an integrated dual synthetic approach in which the photoreduction of CO 2 is coupled with organic synthesis to simultaneously produce high‐value chemicals in a single reaction system, thereby avoiding the need for additional sacrificial donors. Here, we developed an integrated synthesis, in which photogenerated electrons provide the reduction of CO 2 to CH 4, and photogenerated holes are used for the oxidation of alcohols to aldehydes in the presence of a base and a copper‐based metal–organic framework (MOF) photocatalyst under visible light. DFT calculations suggested two possible reaction pathways involving the formation of a secondary benzyl radical, which subsequently releases hydrogen, converts to an oxy radical, and finally to a carbonyl group. Simultaneously, photogenerated electrons and hydrogen are used to reduce CO 2 to methane to complete the photoredox cycle.