Photochemical syntheses and treatment technologies have the potential to replace traditional chemical methods which suffer from high environmental cost. However, a fundamental problem in the use of light energy for chemical processing concerns excitation inhomogeneity. High reaction rates at the reactor/light source interface can lead to filming, secondary photolysis, chain termination, and low yields. A new type of photochemical reactor, the Photo-Spray Reactor, is proposed to provide a major advance in photochemical technology. This innovation achieves `walless` excitation, optical homogeneity, and excellent mass transfer rates at gas/liquid interfaces. This Phase I feasibility program tests a bench-scale Photo-Spray reactor on two processes: VUV photodegradation of aqueous pollutants, and cyclo-addition of diphenylacetylene to benzothiophene. It will ultimately address the prospects of using the Photo-Spray reactor concept for previously unattainable photochemical conversions.
