Electrochemical Oscillatory Baffled Reactors Fabricated with Additive Manufacturing for Efficient Continuous-Flow...

Area of Science:

• Electrochemistry
• Chemical Engineering
• Sustainable Chemistry

Background:

• Electrochemical continuous-flow reactors are promising for sustainable chemical synthesis.
• Efficient mixing and mass transfer are crucial for electrochemical transformations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce a novel electrochemical continuous-flow oscillatory baffled reactor (ECOBR).
• To demonstrate the application of ECOBRs for efficient electrochemical oxidations.
• To investigate the effect of oscillatory flow on reactor performance.

Main Methods:

• Additive manufacturing techniques were used for rapid reactor fabrication.
• Electrochemical oxidation of NADH was used as a benchmark reaction.
• Experiments were conducted under continuous flow with millimeter electrode gaps.

Main Results:

• The ECOBR design enabled efficient electrochemical oxidations under continuous flow.
• Oscillatory conditions significantly improved bulk mixing and reagent-electrode contact.
• Improved mass transfer in the oscillatory regime led to enhanced performance for NADH oxidation.

Conclusions:

• ECOBRs represent a novel approach for efficient electrochemical synthesis.
• The oscillatory regime enhances mass transfer, improving reaction efficiency.
• This technology holds potential for sustainable biocatalytic transformations requiring cofactor regeneration.