Abstract:The performance of monolithic silica microreactors activated with sulphonic acid groups and a packed bed reactor with Amberlyst 15 resin were compared in the esterification of acetic acid with n-butanol. The monolithic microreactors were made of single silica rods with complex pore architecture, differing in the size of mesopores, and in particular, flow-through macropores which significantly affected the flow characteristic of the continuous system. The highest ester productivity of 105.2 mol·mol H +−1 ·h −1 was achieved in microreactor M1 with the largest porosity, characterized by a total pore volume of 4 cm 3 ·g −1 , mesopores with 20 nm diameter, and large flow-through macropores 30-50 µm in size. The strong impact of the permeability of the monoliths on a reaction kinetics was shown.

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