Continuous Catalytic Hydrogenation of a Key Intermediate of Riluzole Using a Micropacked-bed Reactor

A continuous selective catalysis of 4-(Trifluoromethoxy)aniline, a key intermediate in the preparation of riluzole, was studied using a micropacked-bed reactor (µPBR) packed with Pt/BAC catalysts. The effects of technological parameters such as solvent types, gas flow rates and liquid flow rates were investigated. It was indicated that the continuous hydrogenation process exhibited higher efficiency, selectivity and safety with less energy consumption compared to the traditional batch reduction process. The newly developed reactor system demonstrated a sustained and stable catalytic performance after 20 h running.