Russian scientists accelerated industrial chemical synthesis to just a few days

(MENAFN- Times Internet) Southern Federal University researchers create innovative microfluidic system for real-time control of chemical reactions

The research findings were published in the prestigious Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research journal.

A research team at Southern Federal University (SFedU) has developed a new technology for chemical manufacturing that significantly accelerates and optimizes the production of various materials, from household chemical components to industrial solvents. The innovation is based on a microfluidic system that operates with microscopic volumes of substances under high pressure.

The technology significantly reduces the time required for developing new materials. A series of experiments that previously required weeks or months can now be conducted in several days. This creates new opportunities for developing adhesives, high-performance plastics, solvents, and cleaning agents.

The developed technology works with reagent volumes ranging from microliters to picoliters, substantially reducing material consumption during experiments. The system provides ultra-fast substance mixing, taking only milliseconds, and significantly increases the contact area between immiscible phases, such as gas and liquid.

The key advantage of the developed technology lies in its ability to conduct chemical reactions in capillaries less than a millimeter in diameter, ensuring exceptionally precise control over the synthesis process. The system allows for regulation of pressure, temperature, and reagent flow rate while simultaneously monitoring the catalyst state and resulting products using specialized spectral analysis methods.

The research group, led by Dr. Alexander Guda, has created a unique cell for flow diagnostics of reaction mixtures. The cell enables simultaneous monitoring of the catalyst state using X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) and the concentration of reaction products using Raman spectroscopy methods. All key system components, including high-precision syringe pumps for reagent delivery under pressure, were manufactured directly at the institute.

"First and foremost, microfluidics as a synthesis method has many advantages over traditional methods. It allows precise control of reaction conditions, such as pressure, temperature, and flow rate, which improves reaction kinetics and increases product yield. Even the use of explosive gas mixtures becomes safe under thin capillary conditions. High pressure and large liquid contact area increase the efficiency of solution saturation with synthesis gas molecules, thereby accelerating the chemical reaction," explains SFedU postdoc Mahmoud Elsayed Abdelaziz.

Experimental studies and theoretical modeling have shown significant results in catalytic reactions. Under hydroformylation conditions, the presence of amines prevents the formation of rhodium nanoclusters and leads to the formation of rhodium monomers and dimers coordinated by nitrogen atoms. This discovery has fundamental implications for understanding catalytic reaction mechanisms and their optimization.

"The system offers several advantages: it accelerates reaction kinetics, ensures uniform mixing, reduces the risk of dangerous reactions, and provides immediate feedback. These characteristics make it particularly useful in the production of aldehydes and alcohols, which are subsequently used in many sectors of chemical production for manufacturing solvents and cleaning agents," notes Alexander Guda, Deputy Director of the International Research Institute for Smart Materials at SFedU.

The research resulted from international collaboration. Mahmoud Elsayed Abdelaziz was invited to the institute by Professor Alexander Soldatov, Doctor of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, head of the Frontier Laboratory of X-ray Spectral Nanometrology at SFedU's Center for Advanced Instrumentation. The work is being conducted in collaboration with colleagues from Moscow State University under the supervision of Dr. D. Gorbunov.

The development by Russian scientists opens new possibilities for optimizing chemical production and creating innovative materials. The technology demonstrates potential for significantly accelerating the development and testing processes of new chemical compounds, which is particularly significant for the advancement of the domestic chemical industry.

The research is being conducted within the framework of the national project "Science and Universities" and the "Priority 2030" program at the International Research Institute for Smart Materials at SFedU. Currently, the research group is working on developing a metallic gas-liquid separator for high-pressure sampling. They also plan to implement machine learning methods for automating reaction parameter control, which will allow hundreds of measurements to be conducted in a short time.

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