Development of an Off‐Grid Solar‐Powered Autonomous Chemical Mini‐Plant for Producing Fine Chemicals

Abstract

Photochemistry using inexhaustible solar energy is an eco‐friendly way to produce fine chemicals outside the typical laboratory or chemical plant environment. However, variations in solar irradiation conditions and the need for an external energy source to power electronic components limits the accessibility of this approach. In this work, a chemical solar‐driven “mini‐plant” centred around a scaled‐up luminescent solar concentrator photomicroreactor (LSC‐PM) was built. To account for the variations in solar irradiance at ground level and passing clouds, a responsive control system was designed that rapidly adapts the flow rate of the reagents to the light received by the reaction channels. Supplying the plant with solar panels, integrated into the module by placing it behind the LSC to utilize the transmitted fraction of the solar irradiation, allowed this setup to be self‐sufficient and fully operational off‐grid. Such a system can shine in isolated environments and in a distributed manufacturing world, allowing to decentralize the production of fine chemicals.

The development of luminescent solar concentrator-based photomicroreactors: a cheap reactor enabling efficient solar-powered photochemistry

“…By doing so, wider internal diameter capillaries (increase from 0.75 to 1.6 mm) could be used, increasing the internal volume of the reactor from 1.6 mL to 15 mL (Fig. 10, left) [72].…”

“…Right: mini-plant system ready to perform the photooxidation of methionine to methionine sulfoxide. Adapted from[72]…”

Rapid and Replaceable Luminescent Coating for Silicon-Based Microreactors Enabling Energy-Efficient Solar Photochemistry

“… 14 In combination with self-optimization protocols 15 , 16 and solar panels, we were able to develop an autonomous and off-grid solar mini-plant, which enables the production of complex organic molecules using solar light as the sole energy source. 17 …”

Accelerating the Photocatalytic Atom Transfer Radical Addition Reaction Induced by Bi2O3 with Amines: Experiment and Computation

“…[1] The growth in the field is in part owing to the development of LED technology and specialized reactor setups able to harvest solar energy efficiently. [2][3][4][5] Despite the direct light activation of organic molecules has led to a diverse set of powerful transformations, [2c,6] such strategy often requires the use of expensive high-energy light sources (i. e., UV-B and UV-C light) and the presence of suitable chromophores in the substrate, restricting its widespread application. Alternatively, the addition of visible light-sensitive organic dyes, transition metal complexes, or semiconductor materials as photocatalysts has allowed engaging a diverse set of organic substrates in various photon-mediated transformations, [7] including single electron transfer, [8] hydrogen atom transfer, [9] and energy transfer processes.…”

“…Solar light is abundantly available, free, and environmentally friendly and can be productively exploited to drive numerous synthetically relevant transformations [1] . The growth in the field is in part owing to the development of LED technology and specialized reactor setups able to harvest solar energy efficiently [2–5] . Despite the direct light activation of organic molecules has led to a diverse set of powerful transformations, [2c,6] such strategy often requires the use of expensive high‐energy light sources (i. e., UV‐B and UV‐C light) and the presence of suitable chromophores in the substrate, restricting its widespread application.…”