H-Cube Midi™ – Scale-up Hydrogenation Reactions

H-Cube Midi flow reactor 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.