A homemade and simple solid-state photoreactor for solvent-free benzylic oxidation

Abstract

In this work, we present a cost-effective, homemade solid-state photoreactor based on a modified rotary evaporator for solvent-free photooxidation reactions. By integrating steady rotation with controlled oxygen delivery, it overcomes common limitations such as insufficient oxygen and uneven irradiation in solid-state photooxidation processes. Besides enabling photocatalyst-free oxidation of benzylic C–H bonds, the reactor is also adaptable to other reactions under various gas environments. Its scalable design allows gram-scale synthesis simply by changing the flask size.