A porous directional channel xylem reactor based on a continuous fluid catalysis process applied to the conversion of polydatin to resveratrol

Abstract

Continuous fluid catalysis technology is widely used in industry as traditional fluid reactors have unstable reaction efficiency and poor production conversion. Herein, a continuous fluid reactor with porous directional channel was prepared from natural wood (xylem reactor). When the reactor was used for continuous fluid catalysis, fluid from adjacent channels collided through the pores in the inner walls of the directional channels, creating fluid disturbances that caused full contact between the fluid and enzymes in the reactor. Thus, the porous directional channel structure improved mass transfer and catalytic efficiency, which led to a high biological conversion rate. The xylem reactor exhibited satisfactory catalytic performance and catalyzed the hydrolysis of polydatin at 60 °C for 4 h with an optimum conversion of 99.44%. Additionally, the xylem reactor prevented pressure buildup (0.34 kPa) and displayed cycling stability. The xylem reactor with porous directional channel structure exhibited excellent application potential suitable for sustainable development and green chemistry owing to its low preparation cost, minimal environmental impact and high efficiency.