Systems and methods for increasing reaction yield

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2021275986-A1
Application number	US-202117322339-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	May 17, 2021
Priority date	Aug 12, 2016
Publication date	Sep 9, 2021
Grant date	—

Abstract

The invention generally relates to systems and methods for increasing reaction yield. In certain embodiments, the invention provides systems for increasing a yield of a chemical reaction that include a pneumatic sprayer configured to generate a liquid spray discharge from a solvent. The solvent includes a plurality of molecules, a portion of which react with each other within the liquid spray discharge to form a reaction product. The system also includes a collector positioned to receive the liquid spray discharge including the unreacted molecules and the reaction product. The system also includes a recirculation loop connected from the collector to the pneumatic sprayer in order to allow the unreacted molecules and the reaction product to be recycled through the pneumatic sprayer, thereby allowing a plurality of the unreacted molecules to react with each other as the unreacted molecules cycle again through the system.

First claim

1 - 20 . (canceled)

21 . A method for increasing yield of a chemical reaction, the method comprising:
generating a liquid spray discharge using a pneumatic sprayer, wherein the liquid spray discharge is generated from a solvent that comprises a plurality of molecules, a portion of which react with each other within the liquid spray discharge to form a reaction product; collecting in a collector the liquid spray discharge comprising unreacted molecules and the reaction product; and recirculating the unreacted molecules and the reaction product through the pneumatic sprayer, in order to allow a plurality of the unreacted molecules in the solvent to react with each other as the unreacted molecules cycle again through the pneumatic sprayer, thereby increasing a yield of the chemical reaction.

22 . The method according to claim 21 , wherein a voltage source is operably associated with the pneumatic sprayer in order to generate a charged liquid spray discharge.

23 . The method according to claim 22 , wherein collecting comprises condensing the liquid spray discharge into a reservoir of the collector.

24 . The method according to claim 23 , wherein condensing uses a cryogenic condenser.

25 . The method according to claim 23 , wherein collecting further comprises precipitating liquid droplets from any liquid spray discharge not captured in the condensing step.

26 . The method according to claim 25 , further comprising degassing gas used by the pneumatic sprayer to generate the liquid spray discharge.

27 . The method according to claim 25 , wherein degassing uses a liquid degassing unit comprising a semi-permeable membrane within a vacuum chamber.

28 . The method according to claim 26 , further comprising analyzing the reaction product.

29 . The method according to claim 21 , wherein the pneumatic sprayer is an electrosonic spray ionization source.

30 . The method according to claim 21 , further comprising controlling an extent of formation of the reaction product by varying a distance between the pneumatic sprayer and the collector.

Assignees

• Purdue Research Foundation

Inventors

• Cooks Robert Graham
• Wleklinski Michael Stanley
• Logsdon David

Classifications

• B01J2219/0803

  employing electric or magnetic energy · CPC title

• B05B5/03

  characterised by the use of gas {, e.g. electrostatically assisted pneumatic spraying (B05B5/04, B05B5/043, B05B5/047 take precedence)} · CPC title

• B01D19/0031

  by filtration · CPC title

• B01D5/0069

  with degasification or deaeration · CPC title

• B01J2219/00087

  with heat exchange elements outside the reactor · CPC title