Heterogeneous catalysis inside a microreactor containing acid-functionalized polymer brushes

Microreactor technology represents a new and promising approach to carry out analytical and organic chemistry. 1 This is mainly due to the numerous advantages, especially in terms of increased surfaceto-volume ratio as a result of the downsizing of the dimensions (order of microns). This allows a better and faster mixing between the components of a reaction. The small dimensions created within the channeling system increase the heat and mass transfer and facilitate the handling of exothermic and runaway reactions. 2 The large surface available within a microreactor can be exploited in catalysis, offering the possibility to increase the rate and the yield of a reaction. The use of polymer brushes anchored on the inner walls of glass microreactors offers the possibility to perform heterogeneous catalysis inside the chip (Figure 1).