Microstructured gas-liquid-(solid) interfaces: A platform for sustainable synthesis of commodity chemicals

Area of Science:

• Catalysis
• Chemical Engineering
• Materials Science

Background:

• Gas-liquid-solid catalytic reactions are crucial in industrial processes.
• Microdroplet systems exhibit enhanced reactivity compared to bulk systems.
• Current multiphase reactors face limitations in gas solubility and mass transfer.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore strategies for engineering catalytically active gas-liquid-(solid) interfaces.
• To review advanced reactor designs for commodity chemical production.
• To highlight the potential of microscale reactors in catalysis.

Main Methods:

• Compiling strategies for interface engineering using membrane contactors, microdroplets, micromarbles, microbubbles, and microfoams.
• Focusing on particle-stabilized microfoams as a scalable platform.
• Investigating nanoreactor designs for enhanced gas-liquid-(solid) interactions.

Main Results:

• Identified microdroplets, microbubbles, micromarbles, and microfoams as key platforms for catalytic interfaces.
• Particle-stabilized microfoams show significant promise for upscaling.
• Engineered nanoreactors can overcome limitations of conventional multiphase reactors.

Conclusions:

• Microscale reactors, particularly particle-stabilized microfoams, offer a versatile approach to high-performing catalysis.
• These nanoreactors can improve efficiency and reduce the environmental impact of producing chemicals like hydrogen peroxide, ammonia, and formic acid.
• Advanced gas-liquid-(solid) nanoreactors represent a significant advancement over traditional multiphase reactors.