Vol.:(0123456789)
Topics in Current Chemistry (2018) 376:44
https://doi.org/10.1007/s41061-018-0224-1
1 3
REVIEW
Continuous‑Flow Microreactors for Polymer Synthesis:
Engineering Principles and Applications
Yuanhai Su
1,2
· Yang Song
1
· Liang Xiang
1
Received: 30 August 2018 / Accepted: 28 October 2018 / Published online: 19 November 2018
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2018
Abstract
Polymerization is widely involved in the fabrication of high-performance materials.
With its advantages, microreactors are typically applied to reaction processes which
are limited by transport properties of conventional batch reactors. As demonstrated
in this review, numerous polymerization processes are suitable to be conducted in
microreactors with showing excellent polymerization performance (e.g., precisely
controllable molecular weights and structures of polymer products). However, distinctive differences between polymerization processes and small-molecular reaction
systems can be easily expected since fluid physical properties vary significantly during the polymerization. Herein, we firstly clearly describe the engineering principles
such as mass transport phenomena and energy dissipation related to polymerization
processes in microreactors, and then give a great deal of application examples (classified as homogeneous polymerization, heterogeneous polymerization, and photopolymerization) through which readers indeed can further understand these relevant principles. Finally, the remaining challenges associated with the application
of microreactor technology for polymerization processes and remarking conclusions
are presented.
Keywords Microreactors · Flow chemistry · Photochemistry · Mass transfer ·
Polymers · Polymerization
* Yuanhai Su
y.su@sjtu.edu.cn
1
Department of Chemical Engineering, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering,
Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, People’s Republic of China
2
Key Laboratory of Thin Film and Microfabrication (Ministry of Education), Shanghai Jiao Tong
University, Shanghai 200240, People’s Republic of China
147
Reprinted from the journal
Chapter 5 was originally published as Su, Y., Song, Y. & Xiang, L. Topics in Current Chemistry (2018)
.
376: 44. https://doi.org/10.1007/s41061-018-0224-1
Topics in Current Chemistry (2018) 376:44
https://doi.org/10.1007/s41061-018-0224-1
1 3
REVIEW
Continuous‑Flow Microreactors for Polymer Synthesis:
Engineering Principles and Applications
Yuanhai Su
1,2
· Yang Song
1
· Liang Xiang
1
Received: 30 August 2018 / Accepted: 28 October 2018 / Published online: 19 November 2018
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2018
Abstract
Polymerization is widely involved in the fabrication of high-performance materials.
With its advantages, microreactors are typically applied to reaction processes which
are limited by transport properties of conventional batch reactors. As demonstrated
in this review, numerous polymerization processes are suitable to be conducted in
microreactors with showing excellent polymerization performance (e.g., precisely
controllable molecular weights and structures of polymer products). However, distinctive differences between polymerization processes and small-molecular reaction
systems can be easily expected since fluid physical properties vary significantly during the polymerization. Herein, we firstly clearly describe the engineering principles
such as mass transport phenomena and energy dissipation related to polymerization
processes in microreactors, and then give a great deal of application examples (classified as homogeneous polymerization, heterogeneous polymerization, and photopolymerization) through which readers indeed can further understand these relevant principles. Finally, the remaining challenges associated with the application
of microreactor technology for polymerization processes and remarking conclusions
are presented.
Keywords Microreactors · Flow chemistry · Photochemistry · Mass transfer ·
Polymers · Polymerization
* Yuanhai Su
y.su@sjtu.edu.cn
1
Department of Chemical Engineering, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering,
Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, People’s Republic of China
2
Key Laboratory of Thin Film and Microfabrication (Ministry of Education), Shanghai Jiao Tong
University, Shanghai 200240, People’s Republic of China
147
Reprinted from the journal
Chapter 5 was originally published as Su, Y., Song, Y. & Xiang, L. Topics in Current Chemistry (2018)
.
376: 44. https://doi.org/10.1007/s41061-018-0224-1