Photoinduced FeCl₃‐Catalyzed Alkyl Aromatics Oxidation toward Degradation of Polystyrene at Room Temperature^†

Main observation and conclusion While polystyrene is widely used in daily life as a synthetic plastic, the subsequently selective degradation is still very challenging and highly required. Herein, we disclose a highly practical and selective reaction for the catalytically efficient oxidation of alkyl aromatics (including 1°, 2°, and 3° alkyl aromatics) to carboxylic acids. While dioxygen was used as the sole terminal oxidant, this protocol was...