The photochemistry of polyhalocompounds, dehalogenation by photoinduced electron transfer, new methods of toxic waste disposal

Recent work on the mechanisms of the photohydrodehalogenation of haloarenes, with an emphasis on polyhaloarenes, and the related mechanisms of phototransformations of aliphatic halocompounds are reviewed. Attention is focused on the nature of the excimer in the photochemical transformations of haloarenes without additional electron transfer reagent and on the nature of the exciplex formed in phototransformations in the presence of electron transfer reagent. Applications of surface catalyzed photochemical transformations and photohydrodehalogenation of polyhaloarenes to toxic waste disposal is discussed.