A countercurrent microflow strategy for simultaneous high selectivity and conversion in aromatic nitration.
basic_science · Level V
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 41720805.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1038/s41467-026-69902-2 and PMC identifier 13036075.
- Licence recorded as CC BY.
- The licence permits redistribution, so the abstract is shown in full and the full text is available from the publisher.
Abstract
Aromatic nitration, a hazardously complex process, poses serious risks. A major challenge for the reaction is the trade-off effect between spatiotemporal conversion rate and selectivity, particularly the over-nitration side reactions that have plagued the field for nearly 200 years. We propose a countercurrent microflow mode between two microreactors, which boosts spatiotemporal conversion rate by over five times compared to the normal single-stage co-current microflow mode, and two orders of magnitude compared to traditional batch reactors. Meanwhile, we identify an inhibition mechanism of over-nitration. The generated H<sub>2</sub>O in the main reaction can in situ reduce the dissolution of nitroaromatics in the aqueous phase and effectively prevent over-nitration. Through synergistic control of both kinetics and thermodynamics in the microreaction process, high spatiotemporal conversion and selectivity are achieved simultaneously, overcoming the trade-off effect. Furthermore, we demonstrate the broad applicability of the microflow strategy across various aromatic nitration processes.