Continuous flow small-scale photochemical reactor: PLR DPCT-O50 small coil type photocatalytic reactor

In the process scale-up of photochemical synthesis, traditional batch reactors often face two major physical bottlenecks: first, limited light transmission leads to uneven distribution, where local overexposure easily causes side reactions and prolongs reaction cycles; second, low heat and mass transfer efficiency in large volumes, where heat accumulation tends to reduce product selectivity. Therefore, obtaining accurate and reproducible continuous flow process data before pilot scale has become the primary challenge for researchers and engineers.

To address the core pain points of uneven illumination, limited heat and mass transfer, and difficult process scale-up, PerfectLight has launched the PLR DPCT-O50 Small Coiled-Tube Photoreactor, specifically designed for bench-scale exploration and process optimization. Based on millimeter-scale tubular continuous flow design, this device aims to provide highly uniform illumination conditions, as well as precisely controllable flow field and heat transfer environment for reaction systems.

Core Advantages of PLR DPCT-O50 Small Coiled-Tube Photoreactor

1. Dual-Light-Source Double-Sided Irradiation for Optimized Light Field Distribution

As the "massless reagent" of photochemical reactions, the uniformity of photon distribution directly affects the conversion rate and selectivity of reactions.

The PLR DPCT-O50 adopts a double-sided LED light source with opposite irradiation design, delivering an effective illumination area of 200×200 mm. According to the Beer-Lambert Law, unilateral illumination causes exponential light intensity attenuation when penetrating the reaction solution. In contrast, double-sided opposite irradiation effectively compensates for the radial "dark zones" caused by one-sided illumination through symmetric superposition of light fields. This design provides high optical power density while significantly flattening the radial light intensity gradient of the fluid inside the tubes.

2. 2D Mosquito-Coil-Shaped Reaction Tubing

For reaction systems extremely sensitive to "light exposure dose", the device features a 2D planar spiral coiled tube (mosquito-coil-shaped) configuration, with advantages in the following aspects:

• Optimized light intensity distribution for improved selectivity: The 2D planar arrangement effectively avoids inter-layer self-shielding of tubing, significantly reducing the light intensity gradient within the system. This provides a narrower light exposure dose distribution for the fluid and effectively suppresses side reactions caused by local overexposure.
• Enhanced photon capture efficiency: The 2D tubing is highly compatible with flat-panel LED surface light sources. Concentrated light reception greatly optimizes the effective photon capture area, maintaining a more efficient reaction rate at the same light source power.
• Reduced scale-up risk: The hydrodynamics and light field distribution models of 2D structures are relatively regular. This allows kinetic data obtained in the bench-scale stage to be scaled up to industrial plate photoreactors combined with CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics), effectively reducing the uncertainty of theoretical boundary conditions.

3. Precise "Photothermal Decoupling" and Temperature Control for Guaranteed Data Reproducibility

The device is equipped with a standard chiller, controlling the operating temperature of the reaction tubing within a wide range of -20 to 80°C.

The light source has an electrical power of up to 300 W (rated electrical power, with a power adjustment range of 10% to 100%). Customized electrical power specifications are also available, with an upper limit expandable to 1 kW. While the light source outputs high-intensity photons, the water cooling system rapidly dissipates waste heat generated by non-radiative transitions of LEDs and heat converted from light energy absorbed by the reaction system. Through an independent efficient heat exchange mechanism, it achieves effective "decoupling" of photon flux and system temperature, ensuring constant temperature of core reaction materials and thus guaranteeing high reproducibility of experimental data.

4. Enhanced Mass Transfer Efficiency and Flexible Residence Time

• Millimeter-scale characteristic dimensions for enhanced mass transfer: The device uses high-transmittance FEP/PFA reaction tubes with specifications of 1/4 in × 1/8 in (outer diameter × inner diameter). The huge specific surface area in the microchannels greatly shortens the radial diffusion distance, making the mass and heat transfer efficiency of the system significantly superior to conventional batch reactors. It is particularly beneficial for interfacial mixing in gas-liquid and liquid-liquid multiphase reaction systems.
• Flexible process window adjustment: The device adopts a double-layer staggered structure with a total liquid holding capacity of approximately 50 mL. For systems requiring longer residence times, researchers do not need to redesign the reactor structure. Linear adjustment of reaction residence time can be achieved simply by extending the tube length or increasing the number of series-connected coils.

5. Compact Modular Design and Multi-Wavelength Expandability

The main body adopts a square bracket design. This industrial structure not only occupies a small footprint but also facilitates subsequent multi-station series connection and process scale-up expansion.

• Multi-wavelength support: Standard equipped with 450 nm blue light, and fully compatible with multi-wavelength expansion from 255 to 760 nm, meeting the needs of various photocatalytic systems from ultraviolet to near-infrared.

Product Specifications

Applicable Processes and Application Fields

Applicable Systems: Homogeneous liquid phase systems, gas-liquid / liquid-liquid two-phase systems.

Typical Applications:

• Photoredox Catalysis
• Continuous synthesis of Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs)
• Fine chemical derivatization
• Continuous flow photopolymerization