A micropacked-bed multi-reactor system with in situ raman analysis for catalyst evaluation

A micropacked-bed multi-reactor platform with integrated portable Raman spectrometer is presented for fast evaluation of catalyst activity and stability for gas/liquid/solid reactions. The silicon-glass microreactor was designed and fabricated so that pockets containing the liquid reaction mixture were created after each packed bed, into which the laser could be directed for Raman spectral acquisition. Using the oxidation of benzyl alcohol as a model reaction, the Raman spectrum was found to be affected both by temperature and by the composition of the multiphase reaction mixture which was related to the reaction conversion. These effects were accounted for by calibrating the Raman spectra at the reaction temperature using mixtures produced by the reactors that were analysed independently by gas chromatography. Fourteen catalysts containing different combinations of Au, Pd and Pt supported on TiO₂ prepared by sol-immobilisation (SI) and standard impregnation (SImp) techniques were tested. The results showed that the activity of the catalysts prepared by SI was overall higher than those prepared by SImp, while the activity sequence followed the same pattern: Pd > AuPd > AuPdPt > PdPt > (Au, Pt, AuPt). The Pd and AuPd catalysts from both SI and SImp were stable in 5-h testing, however, for the PdPt and AuPdPt catalysts prepared by SI deactivation was observed.