MF-Elflow Electrochemical Flow Reactor

Electrochemical synthesis is the use of electrical energy to drive chemical change; using electricity to replace toxic and costly chemical reagents. This allows cleaner and cheaper syntheses with greater production efficiency and at reduced cost.

In electroorganic synthesis, redox chemistry is carried out by interaction of the starting materials with the electrodes of the electrochemical cell. As electrons are essentially the reagent utilized for the redox process, the use of large amounts of often hazardous oxidizing or reducing reagents can be avoided. Reactive intermediates can be generated under relatively mild conditions (often room temperature) without producing any additional waste. Electrochemical reactions are therefore considered safe and provide some of the greenest and cost efficient synthetic strategies.

Organic electrochemistry deals with the synthesis of organic compounds by electrochemical redox reactions. Its origin can be seen in the Kolbe-electrolysis in 1849.  Electrochemical synthesis methods have the outstanding advantage to allow reactions without "substantive" reagents, which otherwise would have to be separated in their used form from the reaction products. Because of the large oxidative and reductive potential range being directly accessible by electrochemical methods, they are in particular of great interest for industry for the production of organic compounds. Prominent examples are the production of adiponitrile, sebacic acid or esters thereof, hydroquinone, benzaldehyde, 4-aminophenol, piperidine, 2,5-dimethoxydihydrofuran, glyoxylic.

Many chemical reactions use hazardous chemicals that are extremely environmentally unfriendly.  In some cases, electrochemical synthesis could provide a clean alternative by replacing these chemical reagents with electrons.  Using electrons has the added advantage of allowing reactions to proceed under milder conditions.  In cases where two chemical reactions compete, electrons appear as a good substitute, limiting unwanted side-products.

Electrochemical synthesis is the use of electrical energy to drive chemical change; using electricity to replace toxic and costly chemical reagents. This allows cleaner and cheaper syntheses with greater production efficiency and at reduced cost.

Electrochemical activation of chemical reagents enables selectivity and transformations impossible by other techniques; the MF-ELFlow Electrochemistry Flow Chemistry Systems give easy access to electrochemical reactions in continuous flow.

Our Advantage

Advantage over Ordinary Redox Reactions

Electrosynthesis replaces homogeneous chemical catalysis with immobilised surface catalysis and eliminates the need for toxic and expensive chemical reagents for a range of oxidative and reductive reactions.

High Selectivity and Product Yields

Electrosynthesis offers high and controllable selectivity and product yields with no problematic by-products. Selectivity can be precisely controlled by varying the applied electrode potential.

Low Energy Consumption

Low electricity consumption per kg of desired product.

Optimised Process Conditions

The process conditions for an electrochemical reaction can be optimised further by splitting the process into two or more discrete sections which can be controlled separately.

Easy Scale Up

Cost effective scale up is easily achieved by the addition of further electrochemical cells. This is easier than the conventional scale-up requirements of larger or multiple reactor vessels.

Electrochemical synthesis systems are used in Fine Chemical and Pharmaceutical applications amongst others. Examples include:

Inorganic chemical synthesis including bromine, chlorine, fluorine, aluminium

Aqueous and non-aqueous organic chemical synthesis including L-cysteine, electro-catalytic hydrogenation, the reduction of carboxylic acids

Electro-organic Continuous Flow Reactor Features

Help to overcome oxidant/reductant free organic synthesis.

There is no need of oxidant/reductant

Very high surface to volume ratio.

Traditional batch electrolysis processes require long reaction time which can be avoided with our product.

The device works on the principle of electro-chemistry.

Available electrode: Iron, Copper, Graphite, Titanium, Nickel foam, Ni coated on the copper electrode, Steel.

MF-ELFlow is our range of electrochemical cells and integrated systems. MF-ELFlow is a general purpose cell and is ideal for use in a R&D or laboratory settings for proof of concept work. The units are used by industrial, research and educational clients globally.MF-ELFlow is designed to be the most comprehensive, flexible and consistent electrochemical offering from lab scale to full production.

MF-ELFlow is an easy to use, flexible, hand-assembly laboratory electrochemical cell.The microfluidic electrochemical reactor has the characteristics of short electrode distance and continuous reaction. The feature of short electrode distance can bring advantages of low voltage, less amount of electrolyte or no electrolyte; continuous reaction can bring the advantage of no backflow of materials, so as to realize the product is not excessively redox and improve the product yield. In addition, the microchannel electrochemical reactor has the characteristics of accurate temperature control and fast mass transfer. Under the condition of extremely small electrode distance, special redox coupling reactions can also be realized.

Features  

(1) Long residence time, which can realize continuous synthesis or processing;

(2) The temperature of the react or can be controlled;

(3) There is a wide choice of electrode types, and the electrode distance can be adjusted;

(4) It can be carried out with or without diaphragm.

Continuous flow electrochemical reactor other features:

  1. The MF-ELFlow continuous flow electrochemical reactor is a more convenient and simple electrochemical reactor;

  2. Special heating and refrigeration board design (water cooling joints, electrode heads);

  3. It adopts slow-moving wire-cutting technology to form, which can control the electrode temperature -30-200 degrees Celsius;

  4. Simple clamping, integrated design of electrode plate and chip, higher cost performance;

  5. The current collector unit is omitted, the electrode spacing is 0.025-2mm on demand, and the chip pool depth is 0.05-2mm on demand. It can realize a single flow cell unit and a rectifier flow cell, and realize a single electrolytic cell reaction and a double electrolytic cell reaction;

  6. Hand-tight assembly without tools, insulated screw connection, breakdown voltage up to 20kv;

  7. The electrode material can be selected from isostatic graphite, 99.9 pure copper, foamed nickel, and the sealing strength can reach 20bar;

  8. The membrane models used in the water/alcohol system, pure organic phase system, and dual-cell system are different. Please specify the system when ordering.

Technical Specifications for Electrochemical Flow Reactor

Technical Parameter：

Chip integrated electrode plate：

Material:  SGL graphite, isostatically pressed, highly dense (optional copper, foamed nickel)

Operating temperature: -25℃-190℃

Working pressure: 0-20bar

Microfluidic flow cell depth: 0.05-1mm optional

Separation membrane：

Material:  PFA film (Ion exchange membrane is optional)

Operating temperature: -25℃-190℃

Breakdown voltage: 3KV

Diaphragm thickness: 50um, 100um, 200um, 300um, 500um optional

Fixed base：

Material: 6061-T6 anodized

Hot and cold water flux: 5-10L/min

Temperature: -25-195℃

Copper electrode tip：

Material: 99.9% pure copper

Conductive cross-sectional area: 3.14*8mm*8mm

Limit voltage: 20KV

Inlet/outlet ports:1/4"-28 UNF

Process cases that can be realized by continuous flow electrochemical reactor: continuous flow electrochemical reaction process, cathode reduction reaction (one-way circulation), anodic oxidation reaction (one-way circulation), redox reaction (two-way circulation).

Application fields of continuous flow electrochemical reactor: substitution of electrolytic cells, preparation of special pharmaceutical intermediates, preparation of energetic materials, etc.

Product category: electrochemical flow reactor;continuous flow electrochemical reactor;flow electrochemistry;new flow electrochemical reactor;microchannel electrochemical reaction systemMicrofluidic Electrolysis Cell;Electrochemical Flow Reactors;Continuous flow electrochemical reactor;Micro-electro-flow reactor.

Electrochemistry in flow

Electrochemistry in flow chemistry applications

Electrochemistry enables the unique activation of reagents enabling selectivity and transformations not possible by other techniques. The transfer of electrons drive reactions and transformations, meaning that electrochemistry is a surface phenomenon whereby reactions are optimised when there is a high surface area to volume ratio.

Electrochemistry in flow means that the substrate can be streamed through in between two electrodes. As a result, the ability to adjust the flow rate will adjust the amount of time that the substrate is exposed to the electron transfer process.

The advantage of this over typical batch methods means that we can maximise the potential of the surface phenomenon properties i.e. reducing the distance between the electrodes for more efficient electron transfer. As such electrochemistry in flow greatly allows for better control and selectivity of the reaction.

Benefits of electrochemistry in flow chemistry applications

Along with the ability to access unique reactions and transformations that are not possible by other techniques, electrochemistry also enables:

A reduction in the quantities of toxic and hazardous oxidizing/reducing agents used

The generation of reactive intermediates. Ideal for multi-step syntheses

Rapid Oxidations and ReductionsOxidative synthesis of drug metabolites

Oxidative synthesis of drug metabolites

In an electrochemical reaction, the reaction is driven by the number of electrons available to activate molecules to result in the desired reaction.

Conducting electrochemistry in flow means that you can stream substrate continuously in between the electrodes during electron transfer. The ability to adjust flow rates means that the residence time of electrochemical reactions is under tight control with residence times often determining the product distribution and control of by-product formation.

Additionally, after the initial set-up of your experiment. Electrochemical reactions can be continuously run and collected in an automated fashion. As a result, running in flow means you can get larger volumes of substrate undergoing electrochemical reactions and get larger quantities of product per experiment.

As you are also streaming fluid in a channel between two electrodes, reducing the distance between the electrodes allows for better control of the number of electrons that are transferred to the substrates enabling better control and selectivity of the reaction meaning that alongside more accurate product distribution you will also obtain higher yields of product.

Core flow principles mean that temperature control is also substantially more efficient during electrochemical reaction, as smaller channels promote much more efficient heat transfer, as a result, a range variables can be controlled in a single electrochemical reaction to achieve the desired conditions.All these factors mean that electrochemical reactions in flow can occur much faster than the analogous reaction in a batch process with reactions that can take up to several hours typically occurring in several minutes whilst also giving more, well-distributed produce due to the amount of control afforded when running Electrochemistry in flow.

All these factors mean that electrochemical reactions in flow can occur much faster than the analogous reaction in a batch process with reactions that can take up to several hours typically occurring in several minutes whilst also giving more, well-distributed produce due to the amount of control afforded when running Electrochemistry in flow.