Overview
ABSTRACT
Sonochemistry involves the chemical and physical processes that take place under the action of ultrasound in solution. These processes are mainly due to cavitation, which involves the formation and implosion of gas microbubbles in liquids subjected to ultrasonic waves. As these microbubbles collapse, they release enormous amounts of energy, in the form of intense local heat, comparable to the temperature at the surface of the sun (~ 5000 K), high pressure (≤1000 atm), shock waves and acoustic microcurrents. Each cavitation bubble can be compared to a microreactor capable of initiating chemical reactions without external input of heat, reagents or catalysts. This article presents an overview of the main current applications of sonochemistry in organic chemistry.
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Read the articleAUTHORS
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Micheline DRAYE: University professor, Doctor of Chemistry from Claude Bernard University Lyon 1 - EDYTEM Laboratory UMR CNRS 5204, University of Savoie Mont Blanc, Le Bourget du Lac, France
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Julien ESTAGER: Project Manager in Process Intensification, Doctor of Chemistry from the University of Savoie Mont Blanc - Certech, Seneffe, Belgium
INTRODUCTION
First appearing in the fossil record just after the Paleocene-Eocene thermal maximum (–55.93 Ma), bats naturally produce ultrasound in a frequency range of 30 to 80 kHz. However, it was not until the early 20th century that humans learned to use these vibrations reliably.
Inaudible to the human ear, ultrasound was discovered in 1883 by English physiologist Francis Galton (1822-1911) during the invention of the "ultrasonic whistle." However, it was the discovery of piezoelectricity in 1880 by brothers Pierre (1859-1906) and Jacques (1856-1941) Curie that truly enabled its easy and repeatable production, paving the way for its practical use. By 1910, it was possible to generate ultrasound in water thanks to the availability of piezoelectric materials and powerful electronic equipment.
After the Titanic disaster in 1912, Paul Langevin (1872-1946) proposed using them to detect icebergs. Then, in 1915, he developed a method for detecting submarines using these inaudible vibrations, thus inaugurating their first industrial use.
Studies in aqueous environments show that ultrasound causes changes in the medium through which it propagates. The work of Robert William Wood (1868-1955) and Alfred Lee Loomis (1887-1975) in biology, as well as that of Theodore William Richards (1868-1928) and Alfred Lee Loomis in chemistry, are considered to be the first sonochemical experiments.
However, it was not until the 1950s, with the availability of the first reliable ultrasonic generators, that researchers demonstrated the potential of ultrasonic waves in chemistry.
The 1980s saw an explosion in the number of reactions involving organic compounds carried out in organic solvents under the influence of ultrasound. The term "sonochemistry" was first used by Neppiras in a review article on cavitation.
With the rise of sustainable chemistry, the remarkable properties of ultrasound place sonochemistry at the forefront of innovative and sustainable technologies, offering effective solutions that are more environmentally friendly and in line with current environmental and industrial requirements.
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KEYWORDS
ultrasound | Green chemistry | cavitation | organic sonochemistry
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