Current Organic Chemistry - Volume 17, Issue 21, 2013

The “green” character of a series of reaction carried out under visible light photocatalysis has been evaluated by calculating the Process Mass Intensity (PMI) and by means of the EATOS software. The indexes obtained were likewise calculated for the thermal version of the same reactions for the sake of comparison. The role of solvents, of the photocatalyst used and of the irradiation apparatus are discussed.

This paper deals with the photocatalytic oxidation of benzyl amine by O2 on TiO2 under visible light irradiation, and it was found that the benzyl amine is selectively converted into N-benzylidenebenzylamine with high conversion (>80 %). The origin of visible light response is not due to the band-gap transition of TiO2, but to the excitation of the charge transfer surface complex constructed by the interaction of benzyl amine Read More

Photocatalysis is becoming particularly important in the realization of partial and selective oxidations of organic substrates, including alcohols and polyols, and at the same time is an example of green catalysis since it moves towards a “sustainable chemistry” with a minimal environmental impact. Heterogeneous systems with well-defined textural characteristics represent a suitable means to tailor the selectivity of photocat Read More

Eco-friendly standards require organic synthetic protocols able to combine a low environmental impact with an economical convenience. The aerobic selective oxidation of organic compounds promoted by visible light radiation (including ambient sunlight) is candidate to become one of the most important, cheapest and greenest tools to transform raw materials into more complex molecules. Most of organic photochemical Read More

This review summarizes the main results reported in papers concerning gas-solid photocatalytic partial oxidation of organic compounds with the aim to up-date the state of the art in the study of heterogeneous photocatalysis as an alternative green method to obtain high valuable chemical products in mild conditions. The literature works have focused mainly on the studying both new formulations of photocatalysts, as well a Read More

The generation of paramagnetic intermediates upon photoinduced reduction of substituted nitroquinolones 1–6 in dimethylsulfoxide/methanol titania suspensions was investigated by in situ EPR spectroscopy. The assignment of the primary photogenerated paramagnetic signals was based on the results of cyclic voltammetry, amperostatic in situ spectroelectrochemistry and in situ EPR/UV-Vis spectroelectrochemistry in apr Read More

Both commercial and home prepared (HP) TiO2 samples have been tested for the photocatalytic reduction of CO2. (HP) TiO2 powders were prepared by using TiCl4 or Ti(OC4H9)4 as the precursors to obtain HP1 and HP2 samples, respectively. Also HP Cu-loaded and SiO2 supported TiO2 powders were prepared. The HP samples were more active than the commercial ones for the photoreduction of CO2 with and without w Read More

Photocatalytic reduction of carbon dioxide (CO2) was carried out using titanium(IV) oxide (TiO2). Methanol (CH3OH) was detected as the main product, and trace amounts of formic acid, carbon monoxide, methane, and hydrogen were also detected. The prepared decahedral-shaped anatase TiO2 with larger {011} and smaller {001} exposed crystal faces showed larger CH3OH generation than that of commercial ana Read More

Forming the heterojunction between two semiconductor photocatalysts is an effective method for achieving high photocatalytic activity in photocatalytic reaction. Here we have constructed the ZnGa2O4/Ga2O3 heterojunction by heating the mixture of GaOOH nanoplates and ZnO. Growing the ZnGa2O4 nanoparticles on the surface of Ga2O3 nanoplates not only improves the photocatalytic activity in CO2 photoredu Read More

This tutorial review of the state of the art of organic reactions taking place with the help of photocatalysis provides definition of photocatalysis, considers major types of photocatalysts and reactors used for organic photocatalytic reactions. Important classes of photocatalytic organic reactions are exemplified: oxidation, reduction and hydrogenation, isomerization, cyclization, cycloaddition, substitution, formation of C- Read More

One of the main targets of chemical (as well as of other) research, nowadays, is to explore energy efficient and environmentally friendly synthetic routes to address the increasing global demand for energy and to reduce the use and the production of harmful chemicals. Photocatalytic synthesis routes are assumed to be alternative and promising eco-friendly methods for the production of organic compounds utilizing solar energ Read More

In this minireview, advances in the applications of graphene (GR)-based composite photocatalysts for selective organic synthesis have been summed up systematically. GR, with unique planar structure, excellent transparency, superior electron conductivity, high specific surface area and high chemical stability, is proven to be a promising component to construct effective GR-based composite photocatalysts for organic tra Read More

Traditional processes for making chemicals are unsustainable in terms of resources and environmental impact. The present paper is a review of the most recent advances in the application of selective photocatalytic reactions to organic synthesis, which, in the last years, has attracted the interest of the scientific community addressing on development of environmentally benign synthetic processes. Indeed, selective photocatalysis i Read More

The generation of renewable energy through photocatalysis is an attractive option to utilize the abundantly available solar radiation for a sustainable future. Photocatalysis refers to charge-carrier, i.e. electron and hole, mediated reactions occurring on a semiconductor surface in presence of ultraviolet or visible light radiation. Photocatalysis is a well established advanced oxidation technique for the decontaminatio Read More