Visible-light-driven catalytic oxidation of aldehydes and alcohols to nitriles by 4-acetamido-TEMPO using ammonium carbamate as a nitrogen source.

A mild and efficient route to prepare nitriles from aldehydes by combining photoredox catalysis with oxoammonium cations is reported. The reaction is performed using ammonium carbamate as the nitrogen source. The practicality of the method is increased by the extension of the dual catalytic system to one-pot two-step conversion of alcohols to nitriles.