FLOW REACTOR METHOD AND APPARATUS

摘要

A method of conducting a chemical reaction in a flow reactor, said method comprising the steps of: pumping at least one liquid reaction plug bounded at both ends by liquid spacer plugs along a reaction channel of said reactor; and conducting said chemical reaction in said reaction plug inside said reaction channel, wherein the liquid reaction plug comprises one or more reagents dispersed in a reaction solvent, the liquid spacer plugs are immiscible in the reaction solvent, and the reagents are substantially insoluble in the spacer plugs; and wherein the aspect ratio of the at least one reaction plug is at least about 10. Also provided is an apparatus specifically adapted for performing a method according to the subject matter disclosed herein. Suitably, the apparatus comprises: a flow channel having a cross sectional area of at least about 0.05 mm2 and length at least about 50 cm; a first reservoir for a reaction solvent containing a reagent; a sample loop for containing a sufficient quantity of the reaction solvent to provide a reaction plug in said flow channel having an aspect ratio of at least about 10; a second reservoir for a spacer solvent that is immiscible in the reaction solvent; and at least one pump for pumping said first and spacer solvents through said channel.