New method for light-driven oxidation of aryl ethers to esters

Oxidation of saturated C−H bonds is a key chemical reaction in synthetic chemistry and the chemical industry. Nevertheless, the high bond dissociation energies (BDEs) and weak polarity of C(sp3)−H bonds, especially in saturated hydrocarbons, lead to weak interactions with many catalysts and difficult substrate activation. Aryl ethers are ubiquitous structural motifs in natural products and pharmaceuticals, including dozens of small molecule drugs in the top 200 retail sales.