Photochemical organic transformations from small molecules to polymer recycling

Photochemical reactions provide distinctive reactivity unattainable through conventional thermal methods, enabling sustainable synthesis under mild conditions. Light-Induced Organic Transformations: Applications in Synthesis, Biomass Conversion, and Polymer Recycling offers an in-depth treatment of recent advances. Assembled by an international team of experts, this reference covers foundational concepts, practical methodologies, and industrial applications.

Volume 1 addresses light-induced carbonylation, carboxylation, and decarbonylation reactions of small molecules, alongside transformations of alkanes and other hydrocarbons. Volume 2 shifts focus to photochemical conversion of biomass into fine and bulk chemicals as well as transformations of polymers.

Readers will also find:

• Detailed photocatalytic strategies for converting greenhouse gases into value-added organic products under environmentally favorable reaction conditions
• Coverage of light-driven C-H bond functionalization reactions relevant to pharmaceutical and fine chemical manufacturing process development
• Methods for depolymerizing waste plastics using photochemical approaches, contributing to circular economy and sustainable materials recovery efforts

This reference serves organic chemists, catalytic chemists, polymer chemists, and chemical engineers working in sustainable synthesis, energy conversion, or polymer recycling. Researchers in both academia and the chemical industry will find targeted guidance for applying photochemical methods to current challenges in green and sustainable chemistry.

Xiao-Feng Wu is a professor of organic chemistry at thr Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, CAS (DICP, China), and a research group leader at the Leibniz Institute for Catalysis in Rostock (Germany). His research interests include carbonylation reactions, heterocycles synthesis, and the catalytic application of cheap metals.

Wei Shu is a professor at the Department of Chemistry at Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech, China) since 2018. His research interests span over methodology development, asymmetric synthesis, medicinal chemistry, and material science.

Wen-Jing Xiao is a distinguished professor at the Central China Normal University (China) since 2003. His current research interests include the development of new synthetic methodologies and visible light photocatalysis.