Increasing Profitability of Ethanol Photoreforming by Simultaneous Production of H2 and Acetal

Glob Chall. 2023 Jul 6;8(6):2300078. doi: 10.1002/gch2.202300078. eCollection 2024 Jun.

Abstract

Often, H2 is produced photocatalytically at the expense of sacrificial agents. When a sacrificial agent is selectively oxidized, this allows coupling of H2 production with synthesis of value-added organic compounds. Herein, it is argued that the conversion of bioethanol into 1,1-diethoxyethane with simultaneous H2 production increases the economic viability of photocatalysis and suggests a semiconductor material that is the most relevant for this purpose.

Keywords: hydrogen; organic synthesis; photocatalysis.