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Synthesis of chemicals with pharmaceutical interest using green technologies

Preservation of the environment is a very present theme in our current lifes. The pharmaceutical and chemical companies are normally seen as threatening to several ecosystems and the beings that reside in them, by fabricating their products unsustainably and polluting the surrounding environment. Yet, there is more than it looks to this, since when the concepts of green chemistry are applied, they become part of the solution, instead of part of the problem. The Sun is the main source of energy for planet Earth, by being capable of supplying, in just one day, the global energetic necessities of 27 years. Since the contemporary energetic need is extremely high, it is favorable to choose this clean and infinite source over non-renewable sources. One way of exploring this energetic spring is through the use of light to activate chemical processes. Heterogeneous photocatalysis consists on the promotion of chemical processes, using materials known as photocatalysts, which are materials with semiconductor properties, and utilizing light as process propulsor. Benzhydrol is a chemical compound and a pharmaceutical intermediary of antihistamines or antiallergenic and antihypertensive agents, being also a compound of interest for the perfumery industry. Benzhydrol can be synthesized via benzophenone photoreduction. Having these facts in mind, the main aim of this work is to develop efficient photoassisted processes, (including catalysts, operation parameters and photoreaction systems), for the photocatalytic production of benzhydrol from benzophenone, which is energetically efficient, operates at ambient temperature and pressure, avoids the use of hazardous solvents and hydrogen gas, while utilizing nanostructured photocatalysts, the latter being an innovation factor for this project. The photochemical reaction is widely known and was taken into account. The photocatalytic production of benzhydrol will be studied using titanium dioxide (a semiconductor) from Evonik ® Degussa (TiO2 P25) under UV-LED irradiation, due to its high photostability, chemical inertness and relative low cost. However, this photocatalyst is mostly active under UV conditions and its photonic efficiency is greatly affected by the high yield of electron/hole recombination. One strategy used for increasing TiO2 efficiency is by noble metal loading. The effect of several operation parameters on the efficiency of benzhydrol production were evaluated, namely the presence of a TiO2 catalyst, catalyst load, potassium hydroxide (KOH) concentration, solvent type and irradiance. The results were evaluated in terms of benzophenone conversion, yield and selectivity toward benzhydrol production. Catalysts such as noble metal (Au, Pt and Pd)-loaded TiO2 P25, a TiO2 material from Sigma-Aldrich and graphitic carbon nitride were also tested for the photocatalytic production of benzhydrol. In addition, the possibility of producing benzhydrol under solar simulated light was assessed. The optimal catalyst load for TiO2 P25 from Evonik ® Degussa was found to be 0.1 g L -1 . The presence of KOH, appears to be crucial for enhanced yield and selectivity toward benzhydrol. A significant contribution of the pure photochemical reaction was also confirmed. Isopropanol (iPrOH) appears to be the best alcoholic solvent, also acting as hole scavenger for the selective photocatalytic production of benzhydrol. Worth noting that the efficiency of the photocatalytic reaction is directly proportional to the irradiance of the light source. Synthesis of chemicals with pharmaceutical interest using green technologies In the presence of KOH, the best results were achieved using TiO2 P25 from Evonik ® Degussa, with a catalyst load of 0.1 g L -1 , a KOH concentration of 5 mM, and in iPrOH as solvent (also acting as hole scavenger), reaching a selectivity of 100% and a yield of 54%, which is over 25%, in both these parameters, than the corresponding photochemical reaction. In the absence of KOH, the best performing catalyst was Pd-loaded TiO2 P25, with a catalyst load of 1 g L -1 and using iPrOH as solvent, achieving a selectivity of 25% and 22% yield, which is 10% beyond the photochemical reaction. The reaction under simulated solar light is rather effective, with the presence of KOH being crucial for the selective production of benzhydrol.