The H-Cube Midi™ represents the first step in the ThalesNano, Inc.’s development towards process scale-up flow hydrogenation. Utilizing current H-Cube® technology, the H-Cube Midi™ seeks to increase the capacity of the present H-Cube® to 500 g per day without compromising efficiency and safety. The H-Cube Midi™ will allow users of the H-Cube® to scale up reactions and achieve the same result.

The H-Cube Midi™ system works through the hydrogenation of a continuous flow of substrate. The substrate is flowed through the system using an automatically controlled piston-pump at flow-rates up to 25 mL/min. Once entering the H-Cube Midi™ reaction line, the flow of substrate is mixed with a continuous flow of hydrogen.

The hydrogen is created by the electrolysis of water within an electrolytic cell. The electrolytic cell is based on the original H-Cube® cell, but has been modified for a larger output of hydrogen. The hydrogen gas and a solution of the reactant are mixed, pre-heated and transferred to a catalyst cartridge (MidiCart™) that is preloaded with the required heterogeneous catalysts.

ADVANTAGES

Safer

• No gas cylinder or other external hydrogen source
• Can be used in standard laboratories
• No catalyst filtration or direct catalyst handling
• Easy catalyst exchange

Efficient

• Analyze reaction results within minutes
• Higher reaction rates with increased phase mixing
• Easy to use, touch screen controlled
• Experiments run on the standard H-Cube® can be replicated in the H-Cube Midi™ easily - about one day is needed to convert the process.

Convenient

• Compact size can be used in a standard laboratory fume hood
• No special training or skill is required to operate

FEATURES

The H-Cube Midi™ is designed to fulfill the need towards process scale-up flow hydrogenation. The H-Cube Midi™ allows users of the H-Cube® to transfer protocols within a day in order to scale up reactions.

• A continuous flow of substrate is combined with hydrogen, generated in-situ from electrolysis of water
• The hydrogen/substrate mixture can be heated and pressurized up to 150°C (302°F) and 100 bars (1450 psi) respectively
• The mixture is then passed through a catalyst filled cartridge, where the reaction takes place at elevated flow rate up to 25 mL/min

Within minutes, product emerges for fast reduction. Reductions varying in scale from 10 g to 500 g can be performed on the same compact reactor.

H-Cube Midi™ is capable of hydrogenating a wide range of different functional groups, for example:

• Nitro reduction
• Alkene, alkyne and ring saturation
• Nitril reduction
• Desulfuration
• Dehalogenation
• Imine reduction
• N- and O-debenzylation
• Deuteration

ThalesNano’S MidiCarts™
ThalesNano’s MidiCarts™ contain sealed heterogeneous catalysts and reagents, which can be used in heterogeneously catalyzed reactions in the H-Cube Midi™. Exposure to the catalyst is limited by removing the need for filtration, while the cartridges are easy to install and replace. In the MidiCarts™, the ratio of catalyst to hydrogen and substrate is significantly increased, which results in faster reaction rates.

For further details on H-Cube Midi™, please check the following links:

H-Cube Midi™ Brochure [1]

H-Cube Midi™ Whitepaper [2]

H-Cube Midi™ Application Note - Scaling-Up Hydrogenation Reactions [3]

H-Cube Midi™ Application Note - Scaling-Up Reactions Performed on the H-Cube® [4]