Continuous synthesis of isobornyl acetate catalyzed by a strong acid cation exchange resin in an oscillatory flow reactor

Abstract

Recently, the application of continuous reaction technology for the production of fine chemicals has expanded significantly. Despite the increasing interest in continuous flow manufacturing, most industries continue to use multipurpose batch or semi-batch reactors. In this work, the utilization of a continuous oscillatory flow reactor(OFR) for heterogeneous catalysis is demonstrated by conducting a typical acetylation reaction (the acetylation of camphene) Parallel experiments was also performed in a batch stirred tank reactor (BSTR), and the results were compared with those obtained in the OFR. The temperature inside the OFR was uniform than that inside the BSTR, and the residence time distribution in the former system was close to that in a plug flow reactor. In addition, the OFR exhibited higher reaction rate and selectivity values than those obtained for the BSTR. Although the liquid was refreshed faster inside the OFR and no polymer residue was formed on the catalyst surface, its application required the screening of catalysts grains, which increased the probability of surface cracking. The OFR for continuous flow catalysis can serve as a promising starting point in the development of new, low-cost, and more efficient reactors for the synthesis of pharmaceuticals and other fine chemicals.