1 research outputs found
Screwing NaBH<sub>4</sub> through a Barrel without a Bang: A Kneaded Alternative to Fed-Batch Carbonyl Reductions
In this work the application of green
chemistry principles such
as process intensification and the replacement of reagents and solvents
to more benign alternatives were coupled with the advantages of continuous
manufacturing. The reduction of lipophilic aromatic aldehydes using
an aqueous alkaline solution of NaBH<sub>4</sub> was achieved by means
of mechanical shearing and kneading provided by a custom-made batch
reactor at the lab scale and a twin screw extruder at the kilo scale.
The process was run continuously for 17 min to yield 1.41 kg of product
(89% purity). The benefits of running the process in a continuous
manner instead a conventional fed-batch mode were discussed in terms
of both environmental and economic factors