Efficient Catalytic Microreactors with Atomic-Layer-Deposited Platinum Nanoparticles on Oxide Support

Microreactors attract a significant interest for chemical synthesis due to the benefits of small scales such as high surface to volume ratio, rapid thermal ramping, and well-understood laminar flows. The suitability of atomic layer deposition for application of both the nanoparticle catalyst and the support material on the surfaces of channels of microfabricated silicon microreactors is demonstrated in this research. Continuous-flow hydrogenation of propene into propane at low temperatures with TiO₂-supported catalytic Pt nanoparticles was used as a model reaction. Reaction yield and mass transport were monitored by high-sensitivity microcoil NMR spectroscopy as well as time-of-flight remote detection NMR imaging. The microreactors were shown to be very efficient in propene conversion into propane. The yield of 100 % was achieved at 50 °C with a reactor decorated with Pt nanoparticles of average size of roughly 1 nm and surface coverage of 3.2 % in 20 mm long reaction channels with a residence time of 1100 ms. The activity of the Pt catalyst surfaces was on the order of several to tens of mmol s⁻¹ m⁻².