To obtain a photo-oxidation catalyst which develops its activity in a visible ray region and which is a photocatalyst to be used for manufacturing derivatives such as adamantanone and adamantanol by oxidizing an alicyclic hydrocarbon compound such as adamantane.

A sulfur-containing metal oxide prepared by substituting a sulfur atom for a metal atom is used as the photo-oxidation catalyst. The sulfur-containing metal oxide is manufactured by calcining a mixture of a metal oxide and thioureas at the temperature range of 300°C to 500°C. Or, when the metal oxide is titanium oxide, the sulfur-containing metal oxide is manufactured by calcining a mixture of a titanium alkoxide and thioureas, or calcining titanium ammonium sulfate in air in the temperature range of 500°C to 900°C.

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