Catalytic membrane micro-reactor with nano ZIF-8 immobilized in membrane pores for enhanced Knoevenagel reaction of Benzaldehyde and Ethyl cyanoacetate

Abstract A novel catalytic membrane micro-reactor (CMMR) is assembled with ZIF-8 in situ immobilized in polyethersulfone (PES) membrane pores. In this structure, ZIF-8 is evenly distributed on pore walls throughout membrane thickness. The size of ZIF-8 particles is lower than 50 nm. Loading of ZIF-8 can be achieved in the range of 10–180%. This CMMR exhibits high catalytic performance during the Knoevenagel reaction of Benzaldehyde and Ethyl cyanoacetate. The apparent reaction rate constant can be increased by 140.9% at 20 °C, catalyzed by the CMMR than that by ZIF-8 powders under batch catalysis mode. The apparent reaction rate constant can be increased further by 35.9%, with the value being 0.072 ± 0.006 min−1, if plug-flow reaction mode is adopted. High catalytic stability can be achieved, and this CMMR can be recycled and reused over 10 repeating cycles and 300 min without significant decrease in the conversion rate. The conversion rate is 99.5 ± 0.2% at 80 °C, with loading of ZIF-8 being 85% and the membrane flux being 960 mL m−2h−1. Increasing loading of ZIF-8 and temperature can both improve the conversion rate and the apparent reaction rate constant. The apparent activation energy is halved catalyzed by the CMMR than that by ZIF-8 powders.