Design, fabrication and characterization of microreactors for high temperature syntheses

Abstract

Microfluidic reactors offer many potential advantages in several research and industrial fields such as processes intensification, which includes a better reaction control (kinetics and thermodynamics), a high throughput and a safer operational environment (reduced manipulation of dangerous reagents and low sub-products generation). Nevertheless, scaling-down limitations appear concerning the materials used in the fabrication of microreactors for most of the liquid-phase reactions, since they usually require high temperatures (up to 300ºC), solvents and organic reagents. In this work, the development of a set of modular and monolithic microreactors based on the integration of microfluidics and a thermal platform (sensor/high-temperature heater) is proposed to perform high temperature reactions. The reliability and performance of both configurations were evaluated through an exhaustive characterization process regarding their thermal and microfluidic performance. Obtained results make the devices viable for their application in controlled and reproducible synthetic processes occurring at high temperatures such as the synthesis of quantum dots. The proposed microfluidic approach emerge as an engaging tool for processes intensification, since it provides better mass and temperature transfer than conventional methods with a reduction not only of the size and energy consumption, but also of by-products and reagents consumption.

Microsystem-assisted synthesis of carbon dots with fluorescent and colorimetric properties for pH detection

“…All this contributes to obtaining well controlled heat transfer from the thermal platform to the liquid owing in the microuidic platform, which ensures the optimal and uniform formation of carbon dots through the microsystem. 11 As can be observed in Fig. 1, the whole module consisted of 7 ceramic layers, which once sintered formed a block of 6.0 mm diameter and 1.4 mm thickness.…”

Future Options for Sewage and Drainage Systems Three Scenarios for Transitions and Continuity

“…Micro-reactors have been an important trend in chemical process technology of the past decade. Contrary to conventional large scale reactors of the chemical industry, micro-reactors provide options for better control of process conditions, which might deliver improved products and more safe working conditions [62]. Miniaturization of sensors might support this trend towards micro-reactors [63].…”

Heterogeneous Microfluidic Reactors: A Review and an Insight of Enzymatic Reactions

“…The micro‐sized reactors have been utilized in different chemical, pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and even environmental fields 3–9, due to the unique microflow environment provided, which enables controlling the quality of the final product 10–13. The miniature microreactors offer high‐throughput methods in chemical synthesis with higher yield and selectivity, improving the sample consistency at lower reaction volume 14 with lower energy consumption 15–23,] thus providing a platform in synthesizing important and rare materials.…”