Nanoparticles (NPs) of Pd and Pt were used for the selective oxidation of aliphatic alcohols with molecular oxygen as an oxidant at near ambient temperatures under visible light irradiation. Distinct final products were obtained under identical reaction conditions, aliphatic esters formed over the Pd NPs while aldehydes formed over the Pt NPs. The reason for this different product selectivity is proven to be due to the much stronger interaction of Pd NPs with alcohol and aldehyde compared to Pt NPs. The photocatalytic activity is tuneable by light intensity or a moderate change in the reaction temperature.