A photo-driven direct methanol-to-ethanol conversion is reported with a robust gallium nitride catalyst under ambient conditions. This conversion is achieved with no solvent, ligand, additive, heating, atmosphere, or pressurization-just with light irradiation. A methyl carbene reaction intermediate is observed during the conversion, and the method enables access to the more useful (as both fuel and starting material) renewable resource ethanol.

Employing photo-energy to drive the desired chemical transformation has been a long pursuing subject. The development of homogeneous photoredox catalysts in radical coupling reactions has been truly phenomenal, however with...