Cascade Synthesis from Cyclohexane to ϵ-Caprolactone by Visible-Light-Driven Photocatalysis Combined with Whole-Cell Biological Oxidation.

Cyclohexane was directly oxy-functionalised to ϵ-caprolactone through a cascade reaction sequence combining visible-light-driven photocatalysis with cyclohexanone monooxygenase (CHMO) whole-cell biocatalysis. Two available photocatalysts, Au-doped TiO (Au-TiO ) and graphitic carbonitride (g-C N ), were evaluated in the experiment and some optimisations to the cascade reaction were applied. In stepwise mode, the highest degree of conversion from cyclohexanol to ϵ-caprolactone can be up to 41 %, with use of g-C N . The cascade reaction from cyclohexane to ϵ-caprolactone is achievable under a light intensity of 149 μW cm .