Continuous-Flow Catalytic Degradation of Hexacyanoferrate Ion through Electron Transfer Induction in a 3D-Printed Flow Reactor

The benefits of 3D-printing technology in the manufacturing of laboratory equipment, in particular catalytic applications, have recently been brought to the limelight. In this paper, continuous-flow reaction devices consisting of syringe pumps and flow reactors were fabricated using a 3D-printing technique which aims at circumventing the high cost of procuring the convectional reactors for catalytic reactions. Mesoporous manganese metal oxide (MnMMO) and mesoporous cobalt metal oxide (CoMMO) catalysts were synthesized and fully characterized. The catalytic activity of the prepared nanocatalysts was evaluated in a continuous-flow operation using an in-house 3D-printed flow device for the reduction of hexacyanoferrate ion into a useful intermediate compound industrially. Different reaction parameters such as flow rates, temperature, and catalyst amount were investigated for the system’s optimization. The result showed an impressive output with an outstanding conversion of 94.1% hexacyanoferrate ion in 6-minute reaction time. Also, the excellent stability of five-run reusability on hexacyanoferrate ion was performed in a safe, faster, and well-controlled microenvironment. Graphic Abstract: [Figure not available: see fulltext.]