Printed Paper Reactor for Efficient Chemical Manufacturing

2015 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 26660144
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Wood science
• Research Institution: Osaka University
• Principal Investigator: Koga Hirotaka 大阪大学, 産業科学研究所, 助教 (30634539)
• Project Period (FY): 2014-04-01 – 2016-03-31
• Keywords: 触媒 / 機能紙 / ナノセルロース / パルプ / ナノ構造 / マイクロ構造 / フローリアクター

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Continuous flow nanocatalysis by metal nanoparticle catalysts-anchored flow reactors has been regarded as an ideal platform for efficient chemical manufacturing. In this study, the gold nanoparticle catalysts-anchored flow reactor based on wood pulp paper was successfully fabricated by using printing or papermaking processes. The as-prepared ‘paper reactor’ provides hierarchically-interconnected micro- and nanoscale pores, which can act as uniform flow paths and fast diffusion paths, respectively, for efficient access of reactants to metal nanoparticle catalysts. Then, the gold nanoparticles-anchored paper reactor offers much higher catalytic efficiency in 4-nitrophenol reduction process than the state-of-the-art flow reactors. Of special note is that the gold nanoparticles-anchored paper reactor also demonstrates excellent recyclability similar to traditional paper materials. Our findings open new doors for highly-efficient, green, and sustainable chemical manufacturing.

Free Research Field

複合材料科学