An efficient metal-free catalytic system has been developed based on hexagonal boron carbon nitride (h-BCN) nanosheets for the dehydrogenation of N-heterocycles with visible light; hydrogen gas is released in the process, and thus no proton acceptor is needed. This acceptorless dehydrogenation of hydroquinolines, hydroisoquinolines, and indolines to the corresponding aromatic N-heterocycles occurred in excellent yield under visible-light irradiation at ambient temperature. With h-BCN as the photocatalyst and water as the solvent, this environmentally benign protocol shows broad substitution tolerance and high efficiency.

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A suitable protocol for the photocatalytic decarboxylation of carboxylic acids was developed with metal-free ceramic boron carbon nitrides (BCN). With visible light irradiation, BCN oxidize carboxylic acids to give carbon-centered radicals, which were trapped by hydrogen atom donors or employed in the construction of the carbon–carbon bond. In this system, both (hetero)­aromatic and aliphatic acids proceed the decarboxylation smoothly, and C–H, C–D, and C–C bonds are formed in moderate to high yields (35 examples, yield up to 93%). Control experiments support a radical process, and isotopic experiments show that methanol is employed as the hydrogen atom donor. Recycle tests and gram-scale reaction elucidate the practicability of the heterogeneous ceramic BCN photoredox system. It provides an alternative to homogeneous catalysts in the valuable carbon radical intermediates formation. Moreover, the metal-free system is also applicable to late-stage functionalization of anti-inflammatory drugs, such as naproxen and ibuprofen, which enrich the chemical toolbox.

A new strategy for thiazoles via copper-catalyzed [3+1+1]-type condensation reaction from oximes, anhydrides and potassiumthiocyanate (KSCN) is developed herein. The transformation has good functional group tolerance and various thiazoles were formed smoothly in good to excellent yields under mild reaction conditions. This process involves copper-catalyzed N-O/C-S bond cleavages, activation of vinyl sp C-H bond, and C-S/C-N bond formations which are under redox-neutral conditions as well as operational simplicity.

Designing metal‐free catalysts for solar energy conversion is a long‐standing challenge in semiconductor photoredox catalysis (SPC). With visible‐light‐responsive hexagonal boron carbon nitride (h‐BCN) as a non‐metal photocatalyst, this system affords C−H/N−H coupling products with broad substitution tolerance and high efficiency with molecular oxygen as the terminal oxidant. The catalyst exhibits remarkable performance for the selective C−H functionalization of electron‐rich arenes to C−N products (yields up to 95 %) and good stability (6 recycles). Both nitrogen heteroarenes and amine salts are competent coupling nucleophiles. Mechanically, the reactive oxygen species are superoxide anion radical (O2−.) and H2O2, which are proved by electron spin resonance (ESR) data, KI‐starch, and control experiments. In addition, kinetic isotope effect (KIE) experiments indicate that C−H bond cleavage is not involved in the rate limiting step. This semiconductor‐based photoredox system allows for C−H amination free of any metals, ligands, strong oxidants, and additives. It provides a complementary avenue to C−H functionalizations and enables synthetic applications efficiently in a sustainable manner.