Sensor-equipped microreactors: electrochemical multianalyte detection in hydrogen peroxide direct synthesis

Abstract:
The direct synthesis of the key chemical hydrogen peroxide in microreactors is a promising approach for a safe, decentralized, economical and sustainable green chemistry of the future. Electrochemical sensors can deliver real-time information on the concentration and distribution of all analytes with high precision and spatio-temporal resolution. We have shown the integration of electrochemical microsensor plugs into stainless steel microreactors. The parallel measurement of H2, O2 and H2O2 is highly challenging, and we developed an advanced sensor protocol using different potential regions for selective measurement. For the first time, we demonstrated the in situ mapping of a complex multi-analyte system in a multiphase membrane microreactor. In the future, integrated sensors will play a key role in process control and optimization.