Reaction Chemistry & Engineering Emerging Investigators 2017
Reaction Chemistry & Engineering Editorial Board Chair Klavs Jensen and Scientific Editors Saif Khan and Ian Baxendale introduce the 2017 Emerging Investigators issue.
Continuous flow synthesis of antimalarials: opportunities for distributed autonomous chemical manufacturing
The concept of distributed manufacturing of chemicals is presented and discussed, with specific focus on the context of preparing molecules that can combat the development of geographically-localised resistant strains of infectious pathogens.
Safety assessment in development and operation of modular continuous-flow processes
Improved safety is one of the main drivers for microreactor application in chemical process development and small-scale production.
Communication
A sensitivity analysis of a numbered-up photomicroreactor system
The robustness of a numbered-up capillary photomicroreactor system was evaluated when subjected to common disturbances, such as clogging and light failure.
Communication
Rapid multistep kinetic model generation from transient flow data
SNAr reaction profiles were generated using an automated reactor, collected in less than 3 hours, and allowed accurate estimation of kinetic parameters.
Development of a reactor with carbon catalysts for modular-scale, low-cost electrochemical generation of H2O2
Small-scale reactors for H2O2 production that can couple to renewable energy sources would be of great benefit for decentralized water purification.
Investigation of dynamic surface tension in gas–liquid absorption using a microflow interfacial tensiometer
Dynamic surface tension in gas–liquid absorption is studied using a microflow device.
Automated reaction progress monitoring of heterogeneous reactions: crystallization-induced stereoselectivity in amine-catalyzed aldol reactions
A prototype solution/slurry automated sampling instrument reveals the origin of diastereoselectivity in this organocatalyzed aldol reaction.
Advanced reactor engineering with 3D printing for the continuous-flow synthesis of silver nanoparticles
3D printing has been employed to manufacture advanced reactor geometries based on miniaturised continuous-flow oscillatory baffled reactors (mCOBRs) and they have been applied for the fouling free continuous-flow synthesis of silver nanoparticles with optimal size control.
Paper
Synthesis of narrow sized silver nanoparticles in the absence of capping ligands in helical microreactors
Microtubular helical reactors generate secondary flows promoting the synthesis of mono-sized silver nanoparticles in the absence of capping ligands.
Energetics of cellulose and cyclodextrin glycosidic bond cleavage
Thermochemical conversion of lignocellulosic materials for production of biofuels and renewable chemicals utilizes high temperature to thermally decompose long-chain cellulose to volatile organic compounds.
Temperature-induced deactivation mechanism of ZnFe2O4 for oxidative dehydrogenation of 1-butene
This paper describes the observation of an irregular decrease in 1-butene conversion during oxidative dehydrogenation over ZnFe2O4 in the production of 1,3-butadiene upon increasing the reaction temperature above 400 °C.
Continuous flow hydrogenations using novel catalytic static mixers inside a tubular reactor
Continuous flow reactor for the hydrogenation of organic substrates using novel catalytic static mixers.
Microfluidics with in situ Raman spectroscopy for the characterization of non-polar/aqueous interfaces
The design of microfluidics with in situ Raman spectroscopy is reported in the present work for the investigation of immiscible non-polar/aqueous interactions.
Paper
Designed porous milli-scale reactors with enhanced interfacial mass transfer in two-phase flows
Designed porous milli-scale reactors with enhanced mass transfer performance and reduced pressure drop compared to conventional packed bed reactors.
Structural and kinetic changes to small-pore Cu-zeolites after hydrothermal aging treatments and selective catalytic reduction of NOx with ammonia
Cu in aged zeolites changes structure during SCR.
Particle activation/deactivation effect in RAFT emulsion polymerization of styrene
A particle activation/deactivation process would play a decisive role in PSD and MWD at very low initiator concentrations.
Assessing inter- and intramolecular continuous-flow strategies towards methylphenidate (Ritalin) hydrochloride
Development of a scalable continuous-flow process towards enriched threo-methylphenidate (Ritalin) hydrochloride.