Microwave versus Conventional Light Activation of O-Radical Scission Processes

Low‐cost substrates (terpenes, carbohydrates, and amino acids) have been converted into high‐profit products by using metal‐free sequential processes initiated by O‐radical scission. The classical activation source, visible‐light irradiation, was replaced by microwaves and conventional heating, which provided similar or superior yields and shorter reaction times, facilitating process scale‐up. Domino or sequential processes initiated by cleavage of O radicals has led to the conversion of low-cost, readily available substrates into high-profit products. The optimization of these processes by using different activation sources (irradiation with visible light, microwaves, and conventional heating) is described herein, as well as their application to the conversion of carbohydrates, amino acids, peptides, and terpenes into valuable derivatives.This work was supported by the Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (MINECO), Spain (Plan Estatal de I+D, Research Program SAF‐2013‐48399‐R and the European Social Funds (FSE). I. R. E. thanks the Spanish Research Council (CSIC) for his JAE predoctoral contract, and C. C. thanks MINECO for her Doctorado Industrial contract. C. C. is currently a student of the Ph. D. Program “Química e Ingeniería Química” of the University of La Laguna (ULL).Peer Reviewe