Chemoselective Decarboxylative Oxygenation of Carboxylic Acids To Access Ketones, Aldehydes, and Peroxides

Reported here is a photocatalytic strategy for the chemoselective decarboxylative oxygenation of carboxylic acids using Ce(III) catalysts and O₂ as the oxidant. By simply changing the base employed, we demonstrate that the selectivity of the reaction can be channeled to favor hydroperoxides or carbonyls, with each class of products obtained in good to excellent yields and high selectivity. Notably, valuable ketones, aldehydes, and peroxides are produced directly from readily available carboxylic acid without additional steps.