Invited feature articlePhotocatalytic promoting dimethylformamide (DMF) decomposition to in-situ generation of self-supplied CO for carbonylative Suzuki reaction

•The carbonylative Suzuki reaction was achieved under light irradiations without external added CO over Pd(phen)Cl2/TiO2.•A green photocatalytic method to use DMF as a cheap and low toxic CO surrogate was developed.•The photocatalytic DMF decomposition to CO was coupled with the carbonylative Suzuki reaction over Pd(phen)Cl2/TiO2.

A light-induced carbonylative Suzuki reaction to produce diaryl ketone was achieved over Pd(phen)Cl2/TiO2 under mild condition via a successful coupling of TiO2-based photocatalytic decomposition of DMF to generate CO and the Pd-based catalysis. An optimum conversion of PhI of 89%, with a yield of 45% to the desired carbonylative diaryl ketone was achieved over irradiated Pd(phen)Cl2/TiO2 under CO2 atmosphere. Although the side self-coupling of PhI to form biphenyl cannot be completely suppressed in the light-induced carbonylative reaction, the use of photocatalytic decomposition of DMF to in-situ generate CO as a self-supplied CO source still shows prospect in the synthesis of diaryl ketone and represents a new and promising strategy for realizations of carbonylative reactions.

Graphical abstractA light-induced carbonylative Suzuki reaction to form diaryl ketone was achieved over Pd(phen)Cl2/TiO2 by the coupling of photo-decomposition of DMF to generate self-supplied CO with Pd-based catalysis.Download high-res image (149KB)Download full-size image