Composite polymer/oxide hollow fiber contactors: versatile and scalable flow reactors for heterogeneous catalytic reactions in organic synthesis

Abstract

Flexible composite polymer/oxide hollow fibers are used as flow reactors for heterogeneously catalyzed reactions in organic synthesis. The fiber synthesis allows for a variety of supported catalysts to be embedded in the walls of the fibers, thus leading to a diverse set of reactions that can be catalyzed in flow. Additionally, the fiber synthesis is scalable (e.g. several reactor beds containing many fibers in a module may be used) and thus they could potentially be used for the large-scale production of organic compounds. Incorporating heterogeneous catalysts in the walls of the fibers presents an alternative to a traditional packed-bed reactor and avoids large pressure drops, which is a crucial challenge when employing microreactors.

Keywords: flow chemistry; heterogeneous catalysis; hollow fibers; organic synthesis; rhodium.