Continuously running syntheses in microstructured reactors offers novel ways to intensify conventional chemical processes. An outstanding advantage of microreaction technology is the high surface-to-volume-ratio which enables intensive mixing phenomena as well as high mass and heat transfer rates. Thus, microstructured reactors may be a suitable means to improve multiphase reactions by increasing the interfacial area and the intensification of internal mixing. This improvement in reaction performances may lead to reduced environmental burdens of the process under consideration. The method of simplified life cycle assessment (SLCA) is a suitable tool to evaluate the environmental burdens caused by chemical processes. It has been applied already in research and development to identify the key parameters for a deliberate green process design of two biphasic reactions, the esterification of phenol and benzoyl chloride resulting in phenyl benzoate and the synthesis of one of the corresponding phase transfer catalysts, [BMIM]Cl. Further, SLCA is complemented by a simple cost estimation to investigate the main cost drivers relevant for possible industrial application of the syntheses investigated.

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Heat pipes used for cooling of microstructured reactors are a new approach for sustainable processing also in the lab-scale within a temperature range from ambient to more than 180°C. The main advantage of heat pipe cooling is the dynamic behavior, i.e., the cooling rate depends on the heat released. Heat pipes can also suppress thermal runaways due to their extremely short response times on momentary temperature rises. As an example, the highly exothermal synthesis of 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium trifluoromethanesulfonate from the respective reactants 1-ethyl-imidazole and methyltrifluoromethanesulfonate was investigated. By transferring the protocol to continuous-flow conditions in the microscale and by applying cooling with heat pipes, an out-of-control processing can be avoided.

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