Aromatic nitrification with mixed acid is an important industrial reaction with fast, strong-exothermic, and high-risk reaction characteristics. To investigate the promotion for the preparation of nitrotoluene (MNT) and nitrochlorobenzene (NCB), three microreactors with different structural features, namely, heart-shaped, diamond-shaped, and zigzag-shaped microreactors, are designed and fabricated. Firstly, the effects of temperature, residence time, and molar ratio on toluene (TOL) and chlorobenzene (CB) nitrification are investigated, and orthogonal experiments are further conducted to determine the optimum reaction conditions. Results showed that channel structures and the residence time τ have negligible effects on the isomers selectivity of the three microreactors, and higher reaction temperatures and mole ratios would lead to the substantial occurrence of side reactions and byproducts in the zigzag microreactor. The heart-shaped microreactor has the highest value of 91.49 % for the MNT's optimal yield, followed by the diamond-shaped and zigzag-shaped microreactors (89.91 % and 89.81 %, respectively). The heart-shaped microreactor provides the maximum amount of NCB preparation (93.95 %), while the yields of the diamond-shaped and zigzag-shaped microreactors are 91.51 % and 88.25 %, respectively. This work provides the experimental basis for the efficient preparation and industrial scale-up of aromatic nitrification in microreactors.
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