Visible-Light-Driven Self-Coupling of Methylarenes Catalyzed by Ni2P@Cd0.5Zn0.5S Nanoparticles

The Ni 2 P@Cd 0.5 Zn 0.5 S nanoparticles photocatalyzed self-coupling of p -xylene was reported here, and the corresponding coupling product 1,2-di- p -tolylethane was obtained. The reaction could be extended to toluene derivatives with electron-donating and electron-withdrawing substituents. Ni 2 P@Cd 0.5 Zn 0.5 S nanoparticles had already been characterized by XRD, ICP-AES, SEM, TEM, UV/Vis, FL, XPS. The Mott–Schottky curves of Ni 2 P@Cd 0.5 Zn 0.5 S were made through electrochemical methods. An active carbon free-radical was captured through ESR measurement under irradiation. The research demonstrated this photocatalytic system feasible for the self-coupling reaction of toluene derivatives.