Continuous reactions in supercritical carbon dioxide: problems, solutions and possible ways forward

Abstract

This Tutorial Review focuses on supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO₂), and discusses some of the problems that have frustrated its wide use on an industrial scale. It gives some recent examples where strategies have been developed to reduce the energy requirements, including sequential reactions and gas-expanded liquids. It then describes a number of cases where scCO₂ offers real chemical advantages over more conventional solvents, for example by controlled phase separation, tunable selectivity, oxidation and on-line analysis and self-optimisation. Overall, this review indicates where scCO₂ could deliver value in the future.