Patent ID: 7537890

Claim:
A method, comprising: a) providing: i) a plurality of reaction vessels having a top and a bottom configured with an aspect ratio of at least 3.3, wherein said ratio is defined as vessel height divided by vessel diameter, ii) a heat source contacting said bottom of said reaction vessels; iii) a cooling means contacting said top of said reaction vessels; and, iv) a solution comprising a plurality of reactants; b) introducing said solution into a first reaction vessel comprising a first temperature differential between said top and said bottom, wherein i) said first temperature differential is produced by simultaneously heating said bottom with said heat source and cooling said top with said cooling means, ii) said heating produces spatially uniform temperature and temporally uniform temperature across said fluid in said top of said reaction vessel, and iii) said cooling produces spatially uniform temperature and temporally uniform temperature across said fluid in said bottom of said reaction vessel; c) transferring said solution from said first reaction vessel to a second reaction vessel wherein said second reaction vessel comprises a second temperature differential between said top and said bottom; and; d) transferring said solution from said second reaction vessel to said first reaction vessel under such conditions that said plurality of reactants form a reactant product.