Selective oxidation of alcohols to aldehydes/ketones has been achieved with the help of 3-mercaptopropionic acid (MPA)-capped CdSe quantum dot (MPA-CdSe QD) and visible light. Visible-light-prompted electron-transfer reaction initiates the oxidation. The thiyl radical generated from the thiolate anion adsorbed on a CdSe QD plays a key role by abstracting the hydrogen atom from the C−H bond of the alcohol (R1CH(OH)R2). The reaction shows high efficiency, good functional group tolerance, and high site-selectivity in polyhydroxy compounds. The generality and selectivity reported here offer a new opportunity for further applications of QDs in organic transformations.
