Preparation, application and recycling of a catalytic microflow reactor based on polylactic acid

In this work, novel catalytic microflow reactors prepared by 3D printing and based on polylactic acid (PLA), a compostable biopolymer of relevant industrial interest, were developed. To maintain the properties of the polymer bulk, the metal catalyst, namely palladium (Pd), was deposited in the form of nanoclusters on the surface of the inner walls of the microreactor. A functionalization reaction, i.e. aminolysis, was carried out to activate the channel surface to the metal precursor. The catalyst deposition approach, carried out in water, allowed obtaining a homogeneous distribution of Pd clusters with average dimensions of ca. 20 nm. Hydroge-nation reactions performed in a batch system, using reactor sections, superficially decorated with Pd nano-clusters, demonstrated the excellent activity of the system and the absence of the catalyst leaching. In order to prove the effectiveness of the catalytic system under flow conditions, the elimination of the propargyloxy pro-tecting group from Proc-4-methoxybenzylamine was performed using the activated microflow reactor. The higher catalytic activity, observed under flow conditions compared to a batch system, demonstrated the effec-tiveness of this configuration. Finally, the developed catalytic microreactor was shown to maintain the same degradation behavior as the neat material and to be easily recyclable.

Automated summary

In this study, novel catalytic microflow reactors based on compostable biopolymer polylactic acid (PLA) were developed using 3D printing technology. The reactors were prepared with palladium (Pd) nanoclusters deposited on their inner walls, maintaining the properties of the polymer bulk. The catalytic system showed excellent activity and recyclability, with higher catalytic activity observed under flow conditions compared to batch systems.