Green photochemistry: Production of fine chemicals with sunlight*
Michael Oelgemöller1, Christian Jung2, and Jochen Mattay3
1School of Chemical Sciences and National Institute for Cellular Biotechnology, Dublin City University, Dublin 9, Ireland; 2German Aerospace Center (DLR), Solarforschung, Linder Höhe, D-51147 Cologne, Germany; 3Organic Chemistry I, Department of Chemistry, University of Bielefeld, P.O. Box 10 01 31, D-33501 Bielefeld, Germany
Abstract: Three photochemical reactions were investigated under solar irradiation conditions with moderately concentrated sunlight: the photoacylation of naphthoquinone with butyraldehyde and the dye-sensitized photooxygenations of citronellol and 1,5-dihydroxynaphthalene, respectively. All reactions were easily performed on multigram-to-kilogram scales using cheap and commercially available starting materials, and yielded important key intermediates for industrial applications.
Keywords: solar chemistry; photoacylation; photooxygenation; green chemistry; photochemistry.
*Pure Appl. Chem. 79, 1831-2100. An issue of reviews and research papers based on lectures presented at the 1st International IUPAC Conference on Green-Sustainable Chemistry, held in Dresden, Germany, 10-15 September 2006.