Visible light breaks fossil bonds for cleaner chemical production

A research team at Colorado State University, led by Professors Garret Miyake and Robert Paton, has developed an innovative method to convert fossil fuels into valuable industrial chemicals using visible light at room temperature. This light-driven process, inspired by photosynthesis, employs photoredox catalysis to trigger high-energy chemical reactions without the need for heat or high pressure. The breakthrough offers a cleaner, more energy-efficient alternative to traditional chemical manufacturing, which typically relies on energy-intensive conditions. By mimicking nature’s use of light, the system can rearrange or reduce stubborn molecules, potentially reducing environmental impact and lowering costs in industries such as plastics and pharmaceuticals. A key advancement of the CSU method is its double-photon strategy, where two photons simultaneously provide sufficient energy to break strong molecular bonds in aromatic hydrocarbons (arenes), compounds that are usually very stable and difficult to modify. This “super-reducing” capability enables the efficient transformation of arenes into useful chemicals without hazardous reagents or extreme conditions.