Development of continuous multiphase microreactors for the production of fine chemicals

许多精细化学品和药品是通过溶剂密集型间歇或半间歇工艺生产的，增加了成本和对环境的影响。相比之下，连续流微反应器提供了大的表面积与体积比和反应物之间的紧密接触，这导致了非常高的传热和传质速率，从而在更恶劣的操作条件下改善了反应控制和选择性。它及其体积小，能够更安全地处理危险反应和不稳定的中间体。因此，这项研究计划的总体目标是开发足够灵活的连续流动微反应器技术，使其在从药物临床试验I阶段(10-50毫升/分钟)到III阶段(400-600毫升/分钟)的生产规模上，在各种单相和多相反应中的表现优于间歇/半间歇反应器。由于这些操作条件更难优化，因此主要关注合成高度放热和/或受相间传质限制的分子。

Many fine chemicals and pharmaceuticals are produced by solvent-intensive batch or semi-batch processes increasing costs and environmental impact. In comparison, continuous-flow microreactors offer a large surface-to-volume ratio and intimate contact between reactants, which leads to very high heat and mass transfer rates, permitting improved reaction control and selectivity at more severe operating conditions. This and their small volume enable safer handling of hazardous reactions and unstable intermediates. The overall goal of this research program is thus to develop continuous-flow microreactor technology sufficiently flexible that it can outperform batch/semi-batch reactors for a variety of single and multiphase reactions over production scales ranging from pharmaceutical clinical trial phases I (10-50 ml/min) to III (400-600 ml/min). Focus is primarily on molecules where synthesis is highly exothermic and/or limited by interphase mass transfer since these operating conditions are more difficult to optimize.