Catalysis in supercritical fluids
Catalysis in supercritical fluids offers potential operational and environmental benefits over conventional catalytic processes. This demonstration system developed by scientists at the University of St Andrews shows the hydrocarbonylation (addition of hydrogen and carbon monoxide) to pentene to produce an aldehyde (hexanal).
The reactants are passed into the reaction chamber in supercritical (SC) carbon dioxide solution, where they dissolve in an ionic solvent containing the rhodium catalyst. The reactants bind to the catalyst and are converted to the product, which is released back into solution. The SC carbon dioxide dissolves the aldehyde, and is passed into a low pressure separator, where the aldehyde drops out of SC solution. The carbon dioxide and any unreacted starting materials are re-compressed back into the reactor.
