Session Overview
About the Webinar
Breaking Boundaries in Flow Chemistry: Industrial DIBAL‑H Reductions Unlocked
Traditional DIBAL‑H reductions of esters to aldehydes are notoriously difficult to scale. The reaction is extremely fast, highly exothermic, and forms unstable intermediates—forcing batch processes to operate at deep‑cryogenic temperatures (−70 to −50 °C) with slow reagent dosing. Even then, plant‑scale runs often suffer from over‑reduction to alcohols and long cycle times, making the process inefficient and risky.
Our work at InnoSyn demonstrates how continuous flow chemistry, combined with advanced reactor engineering, fundamentally transforms this reaction. By leveraging intensified heat‑ and mass‑transfer capabilities, precise residence‑time control, and robust temperature management—enabled in part by 3D‑printed metal reactor technologies—we successfully brought this challenging reduction from lab curiosity to industrial reality.
The result:
- Safe handling of highly exothermic DIBAL‑H chemistry
- Stable operation without cryogenic extremes
- Significant reduction of over‑reduction side‑products
- Scalable, controllable aldehyde formation at industrially relevant throughputs
This breakthrough showcases how flow chemistry can unlock transformations previously considered too hazardous or impractical for manufacturing—setting new boundaries for what is possible in modern process development.
Headliner
Raf Reintjens
Raf Reintjens is a Principal Scientist in Flow Chemistry at InnoSyn, with a long-standing industrial career spanning process development, scale‑up, and process intensification. He graduated as a Chemical Engineer from the Eindhoven University of Technology and started his career at DSM, where he worked in process development of fine chemicals, including routes based on hydrocyanic acid chemistry. During his time at DSM, he held a range of roles covering process development, pilot‑plant operation, bulk chemical production, and large capital projects, gaining extensive hands‑on experience in scaling laboratory chemistry to industrial reality.
At DSM, Raf later moved into Process Intensification competence management, where he was responsible for identifying promising technologies, building internal expertise, and driving their application in industrial processes. This role strongly shaped his focus on continuous processing and flow chemistry as practical tools to improve safety, efficiency, and scalability.
At InnoSyn, Raf plays a key role in the development and implementation of continuous flow processes, with particular emphasis on highly exothermic and cryogenic reactions, reactor engineering, and the integration of micro‑ and milli‑reactor technologies. He has been actively involved in translating complex chemistry into robust, scalable flow solutions, including the use of additive manufacturing and customized reactor design to overcome traditional batch limitations.
Raf is a frequent speaker and author in the field of flow chemistry and has contributed to several industrial case studies demonstrating how engineering‑driven flow design enables safer operation, improved heat and mass transfer, and faster scale‑up from lab to pilot plant.
