An accessible and efficient 3D printed modular ‘M-Arc’ photoreactor
File(s)
Published version
Author(s)
Bailey, Rowan M
Martínez-Aguirre, Mónica
Schaefer, Bernd
Crimmin, Mark R
Miller, Philip W
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
Photochemistry has recently re-emerged at the forefront of chemical development, however, access to affordable and reliable photoreactors that generate reproducible results is a continued challenge for researchers in the field. Herein we present an open-source 3D printable ‘M-Arc’ photoreactor, named for its modularity and internal arc structure. The M-Arc reactor features modular batch and flow reactor inserts, ports for one or two light sources and a fan unit for maintaining temperature control. The reactor was benchmarked against commercially available photoreactors using chemical actinometry and three classical photochemical transformations: photoisomerisation, dehalogenation and a cross-coupling amination reaction. Photon delivery in the M-Arc reactor was improved 3.25-fold compared to a commercial reactor which translated into enhanced rate of reaction for all three tested photoreactions. Using the flow reactor insert, a further rate improvement for photoisomerization was achieved, ultimately demonstrating a 15 times rate improvement versus the HepatoChem PhotoRedOx Box™ market product.
Date Issued
2025-10-20
Date Acceptance
2025-10-09
Citation
Reaction Chemistry and Engineering, 2025, 11 (1), pp.228-233
ISSN
2058-9883
Publisher
Royal Society of Chemistry
Start Page
228
End Page
233
Journal / Book Title
Reaction Chemistry and Engineering
Volume
11
Issue
1
Copyright Statement
© The Royal Society of Chemistry 2025 Open Access Article This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 Unported Licence.
License URL
Publication Status
Published
Date Publish Online
2025-10-20