Green process intensification using microreactor technology for the synthesis of biobased chemicals and fuels

Abstract

Microreactor technology as an important means of process intensification has opened vast opportunities for green and sustainable chemical synthesis. Over the past decade, a promising research direction has been seen in the utilization of microreactors for intensifying catalytic biomass conversion. This Perspective provides a concise overview on green process intensification in microreactors for the synthesis of value-added chemicals and fuels from biomass. The focus is laid on process intensification merits of microreactor technology, its alignment with green chemistry and green engineering principles, typical application examples for manufacturing biobased chemicals and fuels including the synthesis of furanic platform chemicals and their derivatives from mono- and disaccharides, liquid-phase oxidation and hydrogenation of lignocellulosic biomass derivatives, and biodiesel synthesis. Finally, an outlook is provided for future research directions, including among others solid (catalyst, feed and product) handling strategies, process integration in cascades or one microreactor, expanding biomass transformation database, photocatalysis and use of novel solvents in microflow.