Chemical processes occurring on the fluid/fluid interface can be studied and enhanced by means of efficient droplet generation. An increasing demand is emerging for effortless microdroplet generation. In response to this demand, the viability of our common FlowStart B-200 hardware to be used as microdroplet generator has been analysed by FutureChemistry using the short quench microreactor.
Benefits of Droplet Generation In recent years, microfluidic technologies have enabled droplets to be produced for a variety of applications. These microdroplets can be used as liquid reaction vessels for a whole range of different applications. Large arrays, for example, of protein crystallization experiments or self-assembly of materials can be observed within microdroplets. Research in extending the use of microdroplets is ongoing.
In contrast to homogeneous reaction mixtures, some reactions are carried out on the liquid-liquid interface. Offering a large increase in reaction rate and greatly facilitating work-up as the synthesised product collects in one of the fluid phases. One example is the cleavage of esters at the toluene/water interface, thereby enhancing the reaction rate while continuously extracting the product into the water phase. Thus, a large interfacial area is crucial to reaction speed-up. In batch, droplets can be generated through mechanical stirring. However, continuous flow offers the added advantage of precise control over droplet size and diameter distribution.
