Patent ID: 7618544

Claim:
A process for conducting chemical reactions in a first conduit reactor containing fibers, the process comprising the steps of: (a) introducing a first stream containing a reactive species proximate an upstream end of a plurality of fibers positioned longitudinally within the first conduit reactor, wherein (i) the first stream constitutes a phase substantially constrained to the surface of the fibers, and (ii) the end of the fibers opposite the upstream end thereof constitutes a downstream end thereof and is disposed proximate a collection vessel; (b) introducing a second stream containing one or more reactive species into the first conduit reactor proximate the upstream end of the plurality of fibers in the same direction of flow as the first stream, wherein (i) the second stream constitutes a substantially continuous phase that is in contact with and is substantially immiscible with the first stream, and (ii) the first stream and/or the second stream comprises a phase transfer catalyst, at a flow rate, temperature, and pressure whereby the reactive species in the constrained phase and the one or more reactive species of the continuous phase interact to form at least one new chemical commodity—employing a chemical reaction comprising a process selected from the group consisting of O-alkylation (etherification); N-alkylation; C-alkylation; chiral alkylation; S-alkylation; esterification; transesterification; displacement with cyanide, hydroxide, fluoride, thiocyanate, cyanate, iodide, sulfide, sulfite, azide nitrite, or nitrate; other nucleophilic aliphatic or aromatic substitutions; oxidation; hydrolysis; epoxidation & chiral epoxidation; Michael addition; aldol condensation; Wittig condensation; Darzens Condensation; carbene reactions; thiophosphorylation; reduction; carbonylation; transition metal co-catalysis; and —HCl/HBr/HOCl/H 2 SO 4 reactions; (c) receiving the constrained phase and the continuous phase in the collection vessel, wherein (i) the constrained phase comprises a layer in a first portion of the collection vessel and (ii) the continuous phase comprises a layer in a second portion in the collection vessel; and (d) withdrawing separately from the collection vessel the layer comprising the continuous phase and the layer comprising the constrained phase.