Scale-up of Microdroplet Reactors for Efficient CO2 Resource Utilization

Abstract

Two-phase reactions involving microdroplets have gained significant attention in recent years due to their unique ability to catalyze and accelerate reactions that typically do not occur under standard conditions by leveraging chemical and physical effects at the micrometer-scale interface. In this work we have innovatively developed a scaled-up microdroplet reactor for the efficient resource utilization of CO₂. The reaction liquid is sprayed in the form of mist (d₃₂ < 20 μm), facilitating complete contact and reaction with gaseous CO₂. We explored the effects of spray properties and reactor parameters on the continuous production of organic carbonates from CO₂. Remarkably, the microdroplet reactor enhanced the reaction efficiency by at least 10-fold compared to conventional high-pressure reactor setups. Additionally, we used computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations to optimize the process conditions and continuous production parameters, systematically studying the effects of scaling up the device. Here, we present insights into the utilization of microdroplet reactors for CO₂ conversion in scaled-up applications, supported by robust data.