Development of microwave reactor for energy efficient and green solid-phase synthesis

Person:

Prof. Сhebanov V.A.
SSI ‘‘Institute for Single Crystals’’ of NAS of Ukraine,
61001, Lenina Ave. 60, Kharkiv,
Ukraine

Dr. Starikov V.V.
National Technical University “Kharkov Polytechnic Institute”
61002, Kharkiv, 21 Frunze St.
Ukraine

Dr. Sofronov D.S.
SSI ‘‘Institute for Single Crystals’’ of NAS of Ukraine,
61001, Lenina Ave. 60, Kharkiv,
Ukraine

Key words:
microwave-assisted synthesis, inorganic materials, green chemistry, energy saving

Abstract
For the intensification of chemical processes and obtaining of substances and materials having predefined functional properties the intensive search for the essentially new and advancing technological solutions is carried out. Recently increased attention in the field of inorganic and organic synthesis of novel compounds and creation of new materials is paid to the application of green and energy efficient approaches like microwave activation of physicochemical processes. This technology allows to increase speed of chemical processes in tenfold and more, to improve considerably yield and purity of target products as well as gives other numerous advantages. For instance, one of the distinctive features of microwave heating is the direct and volumetric absorption of energy by material that allows to decrease the consume ofpower in a reactionary zone and to reach high temperature in a short time. However, in modern microwave reactors developed for solid-phase inorganic synthesis, the heating of a reaction mixture descends due to heating of a special absorptive stuff arranged inside a soaking drum that are considerably levelled most of the advantages of microwave heating. The purpose of the present project is to design new type of the microwave chemical reactor ensuring direct interaction of microwave energy with reaction mixture. The final result of project is the development of plant microwave prototype for solid-phase synthesis.

Description of project idea:
At the stage of the synthesis of compounds for further creation of functional materials on their base there is a unique capability to control some functional properties of the substances. The final product of chemical synthesis may have different characteristics depending, for instance, on the size of particles, phase and impurity structures, etc. Therefore, new synthetic methods allowing such a control are required. One of promising directions in the solid-phase method of different materials synthesis, as a rule, is long and requires heating. However, many initial components of reaction mixtures are capable to absorb microwave radiation that makes possible use МW energy for activation of such chemical changes. For this purpose it is necessary the development of target microwave reactor that can be utilized for realization of wide spectrum of express synthesis for different inorganic substances.

A list of organizations that are ready to join the project (if any)
3 universities are already involved.

Scientific novelty
Basically, the microwave chemical equipment presented on the world market is intended for synthesis in different solutions and are considerably limited in order to achieve high temperatures (higher than 350°С) that is extremely poor for the majority solid-phase processes. In modern microwaves furnaces for solid-phase synthesis the heating of reaction mixture occurs due to the heating of special absorptive stuff arranged inside reaction chamber. In the present project the problem of creation of new type of chemical reactor in which microwave energy will be absorbed directly by reaction mixture is considered. This type of reactors should allow to increase the efficiency of energy consumption in reactionary zone and, to reach high temperature to speed up solid-phase processes.

List of publications:
1. D.S. Sofronov, E.M. Sofronova, V.V. Starikov, V.N. Baymer, K.A. Kudin, P.V. Mateychenko, A.G. Mamalis, S.N. Lavrynenko. MICROWAVE SYNTHESIS OF TETRAGONAL PHASE CdWO4 // Materials and Manufacturing Processes – 2012. – V.27, №5. – P.490-493.
2. D.S. Sofronov, E.M. Sofronova, V.V. Starikov, A.Yu. Voloshko, V.N. Baymer, K.A. Kudin, P.V. Matejchenko, A.G. Mamalis, and S.N. Lavrynenko. Microwave Synthesis of Cadmium and Zinc Tungstates // Journal of Materials Engineering and Performance – 2012, V.21, №11. – р. 2323-2327.
3. D. S. Sofronov, E. M. Sofronova, V. V. Starikov, V. N. Baumer, P. V. Matejchenko, S. N. Galkin, A. I. Lalajants, A. G. Mamalis, S. N. Lavrynenko. Microwave Synthesis of ZnSe // Journal of Materials Engineering and Performance – 2013 – V.22, №6 – р. 1637-1641.
4. D. S. Sofronov, Y. A. Zagoruiko, N. O. Kovalenko, A. S. Gerasimenko, V. N. Baumer, P. V. Mateychenko, A. G. Mamalis & S. N. Lavrynenko. Microwave Synthesis of MgSe for Zn1-xMgxSe Crystal Growth // Materials and Manufacturing Processes – 2013 – V. 28, #8 – p.944-946.
5. D.S. Sofronov, E.M. Sofronova, V.N. Baumer, K.A. Kudin, P.V. Mateichenko, O.M. Vovk, E.Yu. Bryleva, K.N. Belikov. Formation of ZnS nano- and microparticles from thiourea solutions // Advanced Powder Technology – 2013 – V.24, №6 – р.1017-1022.
6. A. Yakubovskaya, I. Tupitsyna, D. Sofronov, O. Vovk, K. Katrunov, A. Zhukov, V. Baumer and A. Andrushchenko. Microwave-hydrothermal synthesis and luminescent properties of ZnWO4 nanoparticles // Functional materials – 2013. – V.20, #4 – p.523-527.
7. D.S. Sofronov, N.N. Kamneva, A.V. Bulgakova, P.V. Mateychenko, V.N. Baumer, K.N. Belikov, V.A. Chebanov, S.N. Lavrynenko and A.G. Mamalis. Effect of anions and medium pH on the formation of ZnS micro- and nanoparticles from thiourea solutions // Journal of Biological Physics and Chemistry 13 (2013) 85-89.
8. D. S. Sofronov, N. N. Kamneva, K. A. Katrunov, A.V. Bulgakova, V. N. Baumer, O. M. Vovk, and V. A. Chebanov Effect of Precipitation Conditions on the Particle Size and Optical Properties of ZnS // Inorganic Materials, 2014, Vol. 50, No. 7, pp. 817–821.
9. Iu. Nasieka, M. Boyko, V. Strelchuk, N. Kovalenko, A. Gerasimenko, N. Starzhinskiy, A. Zhukov, I. Zenya, D. Sofronov. Optical characterization of Er-doped ZnSe for scintillation applications // Optical Materials 38 (2014) 272–277.
10. Pinchukova N.A., Voloshko A.Yu., Shyshkin O.V., Chebanov V.A., van de Kruijs B.H.P.,  Arts J.C.L., Dressen M.H.C.L., Meuldijk J., Vekemans J.A.J.M., Hulshof L.A. A facile microwave-mediated drying process of thermally unstable / labile products // Organic Process Research and Development, 2010, 14, 1130-1139.
11. Pinchukova N.A., Chebanov V.A., Danilina V.V., Desenko S.M., Seminozhenko V.P., Shishkin O.V., Voloshko A.Y. Influence of microwave technology on cocarboxylase hydrochloride particle diversity and drying efficiency // Powder Technology, 2011, 207, 134-139
12. Pinchukova N.A., Chebanov V.A., Gorobets N.Yu., Gudzenko L.V.,  Ostras K.S., Shishkin O.V., Hulshof L.A., Voloshko A.Yu. Beneficial energy-efficiencies in the microwave-assisted vacuum preparation of polyphosphoric acid // Chemical Engineering and Processing, 2011, 50, 1193-1197.

Expected results:
The final target of the projects is the creation of prototype of novel microwave reactor for energy-efficient and green solid-phase inorganic synthesis.

Contact information:
Prof. Сhebanov V.V.
SSI ‘‘Institute for Single Crystals’’ of NAS of Ukraine,
61001, Lenina Ave. 60, Kharkiv,
Ukraine
Email: chebanov@isc.kharkov.com
Phone: + 38-057-341-01-91
Organization: Research Organization

Expected partners:
R&D and industrial organizations and companies which are interested in such type of the equipment and in the synthesis and application of inorganic compounds and functional materials on their base