Mesoporous carbon nitride (mpg-C3N4) polymer can function as a metal-free photocatalyst to activate O-2 for the selective oxidation of benzyl alcohols with visible light, avoiding the cost, toxicity, and purification problems associated with corresponding transition-metal systems. By combining the surface basicity and semiconductor functions of mpg-C3N4, the photocatalytic system can realize a high catalytic selectivity to generate benzaldehyde. The metal-free photocatalytic system also selectively converts other alcohol substrates to their corresponding aldehydes/ketones, demonstrating a potential pathway of accessing traditional mild radical chemistry with nitroxyl radicals.