The hydrogenation of a series of functional groups has been performed using H-Cube®, a novel continuous-flow microfluidic hydrogenation reactor. These experiments demonstrate that the H-Cube®
can perform a diverse range of heterogeneous hydrogenation reactions with high yields and conversion rates, and with reaction times of minutes. For example, 162 mg of 5-nitroindole was reduced in less than 10 minutes in quantitative yield.
INTRODUCTION
Heterogeneous catalytic hydrogenation is one of the most important techniques for the reduction of functional groups, but is severely limited by harsh experimental conditions and the potential hazard of handling pyrophoric catalysts （1）, （2）.Hydrogenation at elevated temperatures and pressures is accomplished in autoclave reactors, normally requiring specially trained staff and dedicated laboratory facilities. The use of the batch process means the size of the reaction
is dependent upon the capacity of the device, which cannot be decreased or increased past certain limits, without changing the reactor. To address these limitations, ThalesNano has developed the H-Cube®, which generates hydrogen internally through the electrolysis of water, and through a novel CarCart® system, negates pyrophoric catalyst filtration. To demonstrate the capabilities of H-Cube® at reducing a wide range of functional groups, the six specific groups shown above, were reduced and the conversion and yield summarised. The efficiency of the mixing between the catalyst, substrate, and hydrogen in the H-Cube® is also highlighted and compared with that of
a conventional batch reactor.
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