Leonardo Palmisano

CHAPTER 11:New Synthetic Routes in Heterogeneous Photocatalysis

Heterogeneous photocatalysis is a sustainable technology mainly employed for water and air cleaning purposes. However, in the last two decades a lot of attention has been given to photocatalysis as an alternative route to be used in place of traditional industrial processes. The sustainability of photocatalysis mainly comes from the exploitation of renewable sources, such as solar light, and the possibility to avoid unsafe reagents/solvents and severe temperatures and pressures. In this chapter we give a critical presentation of some case studies concerning the use of heterogeneous photocatalysts, such as modified and bare TiO2, ZnO, ZnS, WO3, titanium silicalite, V2O5, polyoxometalates, CdS, CdSe, Bi2O3, PbBi2Nb2O9, PbBiO2Br and SrBi2Nb2O9, in organic synthetic paths. Given the huge number of studies, a selection has been made among reactions of synthetic significance and/or of industrial interest, such as for instance (poly)aromatic partial oxidation, hydration and oxidation of propene, reduction and alkylation reactions. Special attention was paid to selectivity issues, the influence of catalyst features on selectivity and the possible use of green organic solvents when water-insoluble species have to be converted.

Pervaporation membrane reactors (Chapter 3)

Abstract: Pervaporation is a peculiar membrane separation process which is currently being considered for integration with a variety of reactions in promising new applications. Indeed, pervaporation membrane reactors have some specific uses in sustainable chemistry, which is an area currently growing in importance. The fundamentals of this type of membrane reactor are presented in this chapter, along with the advantages and limitations of different processes. A number of applications are reviewed with particular attention given to potential future developments.