Photochemical production of fine chemicals with concentrated sunlight

Solar Photooxygenations for the Manufacturing of Fine Chemicals—Technologies and Applications

“…In 1991 and 1992, sixteen large-scale photooxygenations were subsequently investigated in the SOLARIS loop equipped with a single trough ( Figure 8 ) [ 47 , 102 ]. Process conditions were systematically varied and included alterations in the starting material ( 26 vs. 29 ), photosensitizer (RB vs. MB), temperature, fluid flow rates and possible additives.…”

“…Technical-scale solar degradation and detoxification processes have subsequently been successfully realized using these technologies [ 35 , 36 , 37 , 38 ]. In contrast, however, preparative solar chemistry for the manufacturing of chemicals is still comparably rare [ 39 , 40 , 41 , 42 , 43 , 44 , 45 , 46 , 47 ]. The main hurdles for a widespread implementation of solar synthesis are the discontinuous availability and the low UV content (<400 nm) of just 3–5% of natural sunlight [ 48 ].…”

Technologies for the Solar Photochemical and Photocatalytic Manufacture of Specialities and Commodities: A Review

“…We called the technology "first generation solar photoreactors" [25]. Tests of the two reactors [25][26][27] took place in the focal area of the DLR high flux solar furnace [28]. That approach was applied both to the manufacture of cyclohexanone oxime being a bulk product for which compact and high intensity operation is requested [25] and to the short wave photochemical syntheses of fine chemicals which use only a small range of the solar spectrum [26,27].…”

Sunflow: Sunlight Drives Fast and Green Photochemical Flow Reactions in Simple Microcapillary Reactors – Application to Photoredox and H‐Atom‐Transfer Chemistry

“…Since the pioneering works of Giacomo Luigi Ciamician, Max Dennstedt, and Günther Otto Schenk, much progress has been made in optimizing the reaction setup to achieve more efficient sunlight‐driven reactions . Special macro photo‐reactors like the SOLFIN (SOLar synthesis of FINe chemicals) reactor, the CPC (compound parabolic collector) reactor,[14a] or flatbed reactors were designed. The hearts of the SOLFIN and the CPC are relatively large tubes in parabolic mirrors, which focus the solar light and increase the light flux in the tubes.…”