Residence times, microreactor

In this way, the operational range of the Kolbe-Schmitt synthesis using resorcinol with water as solvent to give 2,4-dihydroxy benzoic acid was extended by about 120°C to 220°C, as compared to a standard batch protocol under reflux conditions (100°C) [18], The yields were at best close to 40% (160°C 40 bar 500 ml h 56 s) at full conversion, which approaches good practice in a laboratory-scale flask. Compared to the latter, the 120°C-higher microreactor operation results in a 130-fold decrease in reaction time and a 440-fold increase in space-time yield. The use of still higher temperatures, however, is limited by the increasing decarboxylation of the product, which was monitored at various residence times (t). 

Metal-catalyzed cross-couplings are key transformations for carbon-carbon bond formation. The applicability of continuous-flow systems to this important reaction type has been shown by a Heck reaction carried out in a stainless steel microreactor system (Snyder et al. 2005). A solution of phenyliodide 5 and ethyl acrylate 6 was passed through a solid-phase cartridge reactor loaded with 10% palladium on charcoal (Scheme 2). The process was conducted with a residence time of 30 min at 130°C, giving the desired ethyl cinnamate 7 in 95% isolated yield. The batch process resulted in 100% conversion after 30 min at 140°C using a preconditioned catalyst. 

Multiphase catalytic reactions, such as catalytic hydrogenations and oxidations are important in academic research laboratories and chemical and pharmaceutical industries alike. The reaction times are often long because of poor mixing and interactions between the different phases. The use of gaseous reagents itself may cause various additional problems (see above). As mentioned previously, continuous-flow microreactors ensure higher reaction rates due to an increased surface-to-volume ratio and allow for the careful control of temperature and residence time. 

Compared to the bateh synthesis, higher eonversion was obtained using a prepacked microreactor with a residence time of 0.5 min. However, after 2h reaction time the yield of benzodiols decreased, but catalyst could be regenerated using hydrogen peroxide. 

The microreactor system used was the commercial CYTOS College System [18]. The reactor is made of stainless steel, has 100 ptm channels and 2 ml volume. It has two inlets operated by two piston pumps. An additional 45 ml residence time unit (RTU) is coimected to the system after the reactor itself to increase the reaction time. The parts of the device are comiected by polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) tubings. 

After the optimization of the conditions for the production of o-bromophenyl-lithium to —78°C with a 0.8 s residence time, the scope was extended to sequential Br-Li exchange of both bromine substituents on the benzene ring and the reaction with electrophiles to form o-disubstituted benzene rings. This was done in a four-step reaction in one flow using four-linked microreactors (MRi ). For the second lithiation, the temperature of 0°C was sufficient, which was expected since the aryllithium intermediate is more stable than o-bromophenyllithium. 

Now we shall discuss the method used to calculate the "cup"-averaged MWD-H, in which all portions of a polymerized liquid are mixed and averaged in a "cup" (vessel) positioned after the reactor. In this analysis, recourse was made to the so-called "suspension" model of a tubular reactor. According to this model, the reaction mass is regarded as an assemblage of immiscible microvolume batch reactors. Each of these microreactors moves along its own flow line. The most important point is that the duration of the reaction is different in each microreactor, as the residence time of each microvolume depends on its position at any given time, i.e., on its distance from the reactor axis. 

Performing plasma processes in a continuous-flow microreactor leads to precise control of residence time and to extreme quenching conditions, therewith enabling control over the composition of the reaction mixture and product selectivity. In a nonequilibrium microplasma reactor, low-temperature activation of hydrocarbons and fuels, which is difficult to obtain in conventional thermochemical processes, can be achieved at ambient conditions. 

An important advantage of the use of EOF to pump liquids in a micro-channel network is that the velocity over the microchannel cross section is constant, in contrast to pressure-driven (Poisseuille) flow, which exhibits a parabolic velocity profile. EOF-based microreactors therefore are nearly ideal plug-flow reactors, with corresponding narrow residence time distribution, which improves reaction selectivity. 

In addition to the seven deoxygenation and dehalogenation reactions demonstrated, the authors adapted the methodology to the hydrosilyla-tion of a series of alkynes and alkenes. To conduct such reactions, a premixed solution of the alkyne or alkene (1.00 M), tris(trimethylsilyl) silane 61 (1.2M) and AIBN 62 (10mol%) in toluene was passed through the heated microreactor (130 °C) at a flow rate of 200 jilmin-1, affording a residence time of 5 min. 

In a third microreactor, the anion of 4-ferf-butyl l-ethyl-2-(diethox-yphosphoryl)succinate was prepared in situ using sodium ethoxide 237 (in EtOH) and the Wittig-Horner olefination with benzaldehyde 116 performed using a residence time of 47 min to afford (E)-ferf-butyl-l-ethyl-2-benzylidenesuccinate 238 in excellent selectivity (89% yield). In a fourth reactor, the acid-catalyzed (TFA 239) ferf-butyl ester deprotection was achieved using a residence time of 5 min at 34 °C and employing DCM as the reaction solvent to afford (E)-3-(ethoxycarbonyl)-4-phenylbut-3-enoic acid 246 in 82% yield. The deprotection was subsequently followed by a Friedel-Crafts acylation, using triethylamine 14 and acetic anhydride 37, to afford 4-acetoxy-naphthalene-2-carboxylic acid ethyl ester 241 in quantitative yield when conducted at 130 °C (residence time = 47 min). 

In order to produce oxime 199 in greater quantities, the authors subsequently evaluated the use of DMF as the reaction solvent due to the increased solubility of the nitrite precursor 277 (36 mM). In conjunction with two serially connected microreactors, each containing 16 microchannels [1,000 pm (wide) x 500 pm (deep) x 1.0 m (length)] and eight black lights, the photochemical synthesis was performed continuously for 20h at a flow rate of 250 pi min 1 (residence time = 32 min). After an off-line aqueous extraction and silica gel column, 3.1 g of the oxime 199 was obtained equating to an isolated yield of 60% and successfully demonstrating the ability to use photochemical synthesis for the scalable preparation of pharmaceutically relevant compounds. 

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