Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: This proof-of-concept study investigates the continuous three-phase catalytic hydrogenation of a model compound in a jet loop reactor operated as a CSTR. Acetophenone (AP), used as a model compound for active pharmaceutical intermediate hydrogenation, was hydrogenated in two consecutive steps to 1-phenylethanol (PE) and ethylbenzene (EB) using gas-phase hydrogen over a 5 wt% Pd/C catalyst under varying flow rates and feed AP concentrations. A previously established Langmuir-Hinshelwood kinetic model, assuming competitive and dissociative hydrogen adsorption, accurately captured the dynamic concentration profiles across most continuous operating conditions without refitting the kinetic parameters (up to an initial AP concentration of 0.5 M). The PE yield increased with flow rate, as shorter residence times limited the secondary PE hydrodeoxygenation to EB, and with elevated water concentration, as water inhibited the water-forming PE hydrodeoxygenation step. Experiments were conducted to evaluate the effect of different startup strategies on steady-state stabilization time during batch-to-continuous operation. Early and late switching policies were compared, with the late switch identified as the preferred startup strategy because it minimized post-switch stabilization time by initiating continuous operation from a reactor composition closer to the CSTR steady state.
Source: Chemical Engineering Journal
Institutions: Technical University of Denmark, Lundbeck (Denmark)
Language: English
Subfield: Organic Chemistry
Field: Chemistry
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $4,830
Funder: H. Lundbeck A/S
OpenAlex ID: W7213891707