Photocatalytic green synthesis

Shah M, Park AR, Zhang K, Park JH, Yoo PJ (2012) Green synthesis of biphasic Ti02-reduced graphene oxide nanocomposites with highly enhanced photocatalytic activity. ACS Appl Mater Interfaces 4 3893-3901... 

Oxidation is one of the most important reactions in industrial organic synthesis [1-3] and can be carried out in both gas [4] and liquid [5,6] phases. Catalytic oxidation reactions in liquid phase were achieved in conditions of catalytic [5], photocatalytic [7], electrocatalytic [8], and photoelectrocatalytic [9] processes. At the same time, the new developments in the synthesis of materials led to the discovery of a large variety of catalysts and applications, including new catalysts for the liquid-phase oxidation reactions. A special interest in this sense was addressed to green and sustainable sources of oxidation [10]. 

Further, as clearly indicated by its name, the unique phenomenon in photosynthesis is not the assimilation of carbon dioxide, nor the synthesis of sugars but the utilisation for these processes of the radiant energy of the sun. This means that photosynthesis involves, in contradistinction to the other metabolic processes so far mentioned, certain photochemical reactions, insensitive to temperature and mediated through a photocatalytic system. The chlorophyll pigments organised in special cellular structures called chloroplasts represent this system and give to photosynthetic tissues their green colour. 

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