Vapourtec’s LED module, designed to complement their continuous stirred tank reactor (CSTR), enhances the potential of flow photochemistry and increases the scope for novel reactions.
Image Credit: VAPOURTEC Ltd
The module enables reagentless reactions even when solids are present. This is achieved by using CSTRs. Each LED module has an input power of 70 W and delivers a radiant power up to 40 W. It is dimmable in the range 10% to 100% of maximum power with wavelengths from 365 nm and 700 nm available for photochemical CSTR.
Using a CSTR for photochemical reactions improves the handling of solids and enables the use of solid catalysts, solid stoichiometric reagents or the delivery of reactions that produce either solid products or solid by-products.
The photochemical CSTR is designed to be operated as a cascade thereby enabling continuous flow reactions to have well controlled residence time distribution.
The use of two Vapourtec R4 reactor heaters allows a photochemical CSTR cascade of up to eight reactors within an R-Series flow chemistry system, providing the perfect platform for the scaling-up of photochemical reactions, even when a mix of solids and liquids are involved.
Dr Manuel Nuño of Vapourtec explained: “The potential for exploring novel chemical space is increased by allowing the use of solid catalysis or by enabling reactions that generate solid products or solid by-products. In addition, the CSTR allows the removal of gaseous reaction products.”