Photosynthesis of alkynyl sulfone on BiOI promoted by oxygen vacancy associates

Photocatalysis utilizes sunlight as a sustainable energy source, offering an eco-friendly method for chemical synthesis and energy conversion. BiOX photocatalysts have gained significant attention due to their low toxicity, ease of preparation, and excellent photocatalytic performance. In this study, the BiOX nanosheets featuring with rich oxygen vacancies (OVs) were employed in the efficient photocatalytic C–S coupling reaction of aromatic alkynes and sulfonyl hydrazides, without external bases or additives. Compared to BiOCl and BiOBr, BiOI demonstrated superior catalytic activity for these reactions. Control experiments highlighted that the presence of trace amounts of water in the reaction system enhanced the reaction efficiency. OVs played a crucial role by exposing Bi metal atoms, facilitating water adsorption and dissociation, thereby enhancing hydroxyl radical generation and improving catalytic activity of BiOI. This novel synthesis approach of alkynyl sulfone not only broadens the application potential of semiconductor photocatalysts but also establishes a new green method for the photocatalytic synthesis of aryl acetylene sulfone compounds.