Uniqsis extends applications for FlowSyn reactors

Published: 20-Jun-2011

Gas Addition Module enables controllable pre-saturation of liquid reagents with gases

UK flow chemistry specialist Uniqsis is introducing a Gas Addition Module for its FlowSyn and other continuous flow reactors.

The module enables fast, controllable pre-saturation of liquid reagents with gases and so promotes efficient gas-dependent reactions in flow, such as hydrogenation, ozonolysis, carbonylation, and direct synthesis of carboxylic acids, the company says.

Mixing gas and liquids in a controllable and reliable manner has always been challenging for flow chemists, in particular the prevention of undissolved gas bubbles, which have an adverse effect on the control of pressure and residence time in flow chemistry. The pressurised tube-in-tube design of the Gas Addition Module overcomes this problem by ensuring continuous interaction between the gas and liquid at every point along its length.

The tube-in-tube design is based on semi-permeable membrane technology, whereby the semi-permeable inner tube containing the liquid is bathed by a stream of pressurised gas, which is enclosed within an impermeable outer tube. The pressurised gas is able to cross the semi-permeable membrane of the inner tube and dissolve into the liquid carried within. However, because of the semi-permeable nature of the inner tube material, the liquid is unable to cross in the opposite direction.

The design was developed in Professor Steven Ley's group at Cambridge University and is being jointly commercialised by Uniqsis and Cambridge Reactor Design.

The Gas Addition Module is compatible with a range of reactive gases and organic solvents. Capable of generating a continuous gas-saturated solvent stream in less than 10sec, it enables flow chemists to carry out a variety of applications with minimum effort.

Paul Pergande, group md of Uniqsis, said: ‘The Gas Addition Module represents a significant enhancement to the FlowSyn product range and, together with the recently launched Polar Bear chiller module, greatly extends the applications for the FlowSyn continuous flow reactors.’

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