| This TOP-grant proposal aims at further strengthening the current line of the group?s research in the area of smart structured reactors. Novel and challenging reactor concepts and technologies are proposed for newly emerging multiphase catalytic processes for, amongst others, fine chemicals and pharmaceuticals synthesis. Goal of the program is to develop new types of foam-structured and microstructured multiphase reactors, with full control at the catalytic site, obtained by diminishing diffusional resistances, and with an optimal balance between pressure drop, mass and heat transfer, and catalytic reactivity. These new reactors will render major yield and selectivity improvements by complete control of the interaction of physical transport and reaction processes. Heat and mass transfer will be optimally integrated with catalytic performance by using innovative catalysts and reactor materials and by a dedicated design of smart (micro)structured catalyst support configurations and choice of operational procedures. This should provide reactors and processes for synthetic routes and high-value added products with optimal space-time yields, minimum waste production, minimum energy consumption, and minimum operating costs. Two projects are proposed in this TOP-grant program that follow-up on the current research in the group with the aim to develop and demonstrate smart structured gas-liquid reactors, viz. (1) the rotating foam reactor, and (2) the micro-pillar reactor. The first project aims at the development and application of reticulated, open cell, foam materials as structured catalyst supports that are mounted in a dedicated rotating housing that may be acting similarly as a gas-inducing stirrer to obtain optimum gas-liquid flow behavior and superb contacting between gas, liquid, and foam-supported catalyst. The second project aims at the development and demonstration of a dedicated microstructured gas-liquid contactor with specially modified micro-internals (?micro-pillars?) as catalyst support. Hydrodynamic experimental studies will be carried out to assess the gas-liquid flow characteristics and mass transfer performance of these reactors. Pd/Pt catalyzed oxidations and hydrogenations will be performed to demonstrate the capabilities of these devices at reaction conditions. It is envisaged that these innovative reactor technologies will provide challenging and highly promising perspectives for the ?green? chemicals manufacturing facilities of the future. |
