Feng, R. L.; Ramchandani, S.; Ramalingam, B.; Tan, S. W. B.; Li, C. Z.; Teoh, S. K.; Boodhoo, K.; Sharratt, P., Intensification of continuous ortho-lithiation at ambient conditions : process understanding and assessment of sustainability benefits. Organic Process Research & Development 2017, 21 (9), 1259-1271.
Abstract:
The feasibility of performing an ortho-lithiation reaction in a T-reactor and a spinning disc reactor (SDR) at ambient temperature has been demonstrated and compared experimentally to a conventional batch stirred tank reactor (STR) process performed at a cryogenic temperature of −70 °C. The benefits of significantly improved mixing and much shorter residence times in the flow reactors eliminated the need for cryogenic cooling in batch processing which is a costly requirement. A theoretical evaluation of a scaled up process with a design product output of 3 tons per year highlights that significant process intensification is achievable in the flow reactors which demonstrate higher energy efficiency, better volume efficiency, smaller processing inventory, and smaller equipment footprint. For this reaction, the performance of the T-reactor is the best among the three reactors leading to much lower reactor investment and operating cost. The SDR was also demonstrated to be effective, even though this reaction did not take advantage of its inherent capabilities in solid handling or rapid heat removal through evaporation/gas disengagement, all of which present major challenges in enclosed channel geometries such as the T-reactor.
License type:
PublisherCopyrights
Funding Info:
This work was funded by the GSK-Singapore EDB partnership (Green and Sustainable Manufacturing initiatives).