Mixing intensification and kinetics of 2,4-difluoronitrobenzene homogeneous nitration reaction in a heart-shaped continuous-flow microreactor

In this study, we first experimentally demonstrated that the homogeneous nitration reaction process in capillary T-micromixers was greatly influenced by the limitations of mixing. Therefore, to improve the mixing effectiveness, we investigated the intensification of liquid mixing in the heart-shaped microreactor. Compared with the capillary T-micromixer, the mixing effectiveness in the heart-shaped microreactor was improved by three orders of magnitude, resulting in a conversion rate of 98.5 % and a reduction in residence time by two orders of magnitude compared to batch reactors. Furthermore, we have established a kinetic model that eliminates interphase mass transfer resistance and verified its accuracy by comparing the calculated values with the experimental ones. The mixing properties in the microreactor were revealed using the Damköhler number, Peclet number, and the mixer effectiveness. These findings contribute to the development of nitration reactions by highlighting the advantages of microreactors in this area and offer guidance for potential applications within the chemical industry.