Development of 3D+G printing for the design of customizable flow reactors

A novel approach to creating flow reactors was developed that combines 3D printing of the reactor core by fused deposition modeling using conventional plastic materials, followed by chemical/galvanic plating of the resulting piece («3D+G printing»). Complete reactor assembly was successfully tested in a variety of chemical processes. Designed flow reactors are characterized by chemical resistance, versatile geometry, modular design, and excellent operating performance. • Developed 3D+G printing process enables fabrication of the solvent-resistant flow reactors of a custom shape. • Complete 3D+G printed flow reactor assembly was formulated and tested in various chemical processes. • Innovative combination of 3D printing with galvanic metal plating increases the resistance of the printed part. • SEM study reveals complete metal coverage of all micro-imperfections of the plastic core. An in-depth study of chemical processes at plastic-metal interfaces led to the development of a novel approach to the creation of lab-on-a-chip microflow reactors. The developed method combines 3D printing of the reactor core by fused deposition modeling using conventional plastic material (ABS), followed by chemical (electroless copper) and galvanic plating (nickel) of the resulting piece (in overall, 3D+G printing process). Detailed analysis of the pieces along all 3D+G stages by electron microscopy revealed step-by-step processes on the plastic-metal interface, which finally allowed innovative reactor design. Despite being made from low-cost materials in a simple procedure, flow reactors are characterized by chemical resistance, versatile geometry, modular design and excellent operating performance. Complete reactor assembly was formulated and successfully tested in a variety of chemical processes targeted on biologically active molecules, including homogeneous, heterogeneous and photochemical reactions. Reactor modules can be combined into cascades to perform sequential reactions. Metallized reactors can be used multiple times in a variety of chemical processes.