Platinum nanoparticles confined in imidazolium-based ionic polymer for assembling a microfluidic reactor with enhanced catalytic activity

Abstract A synthetic strategy is developed to grow Pt nanoparticles supported by imidazolium-based ionic polymers (Pt/ImIP-2BrB) on the inner surface of fused-silica capillary. The imidazolium-based ionic polymers ImIP-2BrB are prepared from condensation of tetrakis[4-(1-imidazolyl)phenyl]methane and 1,4-bis-bromomethyl-benzene and are employed to support Pt nanoparticles. The capillary coated with Pt/ImIP-2BrB is further assembled to achieve a catalytic microfluidic reactor. The catalytic activity is probed in either the reduction of nitrobenzene derivatives or the hydrosilylation of phenylacetylene with triethylsilane by flowing through the microfluidic reactor. The catalytic microfluidic reactor demonstrates significantly enhanced activity about 2-8 times in comparison with the corresponding reactions under batch conditions. The reactor greatly reduces the amount of Pt upon achieving similar yields. It also shows good recyclability without significant decrease of the activity.