Chemistry at the University of Liverpool

Synthesis Lab

The Synthesis Lab is equipped with:

Parr autoclave batch reactors

‌The reactors enable up to 6 reactions in parallel with individual temperature (300°C) and pressure (3000 psi) control and data logging. Use of Sapphire windowed vessel for in situ spectroscopic measurements and reaction monitoring.

CEM Microwave 

Enables syntheses and reactions up to 300 °C, 17 bar autogenous pressure, 300 W power and data logging.

It comes with a Gas Addition Kit than enables microwave-assisted hydrogenations, carbonylations or other chemistries that require non-corrosive gaseous reagents, a 10-mL continuous flow cell provided with inlet and outlet tubes as well as a back pressure regulator, integrated camera and the Explorer-48 autosampler that holds up to forty eight (48) 10-mL vessels, twenty four (24) 35-mL vessels, or a combination of both. It also comes with its own microwave attenuator (or microwave door) that allows it to snap in and out of the microwave cavity interchangeably with the other microwave vessels.

Milestone SynthWAVE

A high-pressure microwave reactor, unique in the UK, that handles single or multiple reactions at temperatures up to 300°C and pressures to 199 bar. Main benefits are: easy scale-up (to kg range), fast screening, high pressure capability, easy sampling and operate under modified conditions.

 

 

PID Effi Microactivity reactor

A high pressure fixed-bed flow laboratory reactor for catalyst testing that allows automated system with data logging, up to 100 bar and 650 °C, 3 gas and 1 liquid feed, liquid and gas sampling.

It can be suitable for a wide range of reactions such as:

  • Oil hydrotreating
  • Hydrogenation/dehydrogenation
  • Selective oxidation
  • Fischer-Tropsch catalysis

Freeslate CM3

A reaction screening system that enables to screen hundreds of reactions per day across a variety of reaction composition variables and conditions to quickly optimize process parameters using minimal amounts of materials. It allows:

  • High throughput runs
  • Screen substrates, catalysts, reactants, solvents, and reaction conditions
  • Accurate and automated solid and liquid dosing
  • Process control of reactions
  • Product filtration, daughtering, and dilution for analysis.

The Metal Impregnation System (MIPS), within the CM3, enables the synthesis of hundreds of supported catalysts per week for screening and optimization of new heterogeneous catalysts. It allows:

  • Support dosing: Dispense a variety of solid support particles automatically
  • Precursor solution preparation: Dispense liquids to prepare multicomponent solutions at the desired concentration
  • pH measurement
  • Particle fluidization during impregnation: Fluidize solid support particles during impregnation with high intensity vertical shaker to produce uniform catalysts

Freeslate SPR 

An automated high pressure, high temperature reactor that accelerates catalyst discovery and optimization. It allows:

  • Execute arrays of experiments in parallel, with up to 96 experiments per run
  • Operates automatically at temperatures up to 400 °C and pressures up to 200 bar (3000 psig)
  • Powerful mixing
  • Avoid mass transfer limitations with high-intensity vortexing
  • Flexible reaction formats
  • Test reactions at different scales by using multiple vial and rack formats

Genevac Ez-2 Elite

The Genevac Ez-2 Elite that enables high throughput rapid water and solvent removal.