Visible Light–Driven Pinacol Coupling Reaction Using CuFe ₂ O ₄ @g‐C ₃ N ₄ Photocatalysts

ABSTRACT This study addresses the challenge of developing sustainable and environmentally friendly methods for pinacol coupling, which has traditionally relied on harsh reaction conditions involving strong acids, reductants, and elevated temperatures or pressures. In the present study, visible‐light‐active photocatalysts were synthesized by doping CuFe 2 O 4 at varying loadings, that is, 3%, 5%, and 10% onto a g‐C 3 N 4 matrix, resulting in 3%, 5%, and 10% CuFe 2 O 4 @g‐C 3 N 4 photocatalysts, respectively. These photocatalysts were evaluated for their photocatalytic efficiency in the pinacol coupling reaction under visible‐light irradiation, specifically using a 12W white LED as the light source, and consistently outperformed pristine g‐C 3 N 4 . Comprehensive catalyst characterization was performed through FTIR, XPS, XRD, HR‐TEM, Mott–Schottky analysis, EIS, and UV–Vis DRS. Among these prepared catalysts, the 5% CuFe 2 O 4 @g‐C 3 N 4 catalyst achieved an outstanding 99.5% conversion rate and 98.3% selectivity, demonstrating robust stability with negligible activity loss after five consecutive recycling cycles. These findings highlight the potential of engineered CuFe 2 O 4 @g‐C 3 N 4 photocatalysts and mild visible‐light‐driven conditions as a green avenue for efficient pinacol coupling reactions.