The signature benefits of continuous flow are largely a result of a reactor’s micro-sized features. However, as the technology gains industrial traction in the synthesis of active pharmaceutical ingredients (API), the reactors must be scaled to larger size to meet production demands. Often, the micro-features cannot be preserved, and thus the challenge is in transferring the benefits of micro to the pilot plant and beyond. This review presents solutions to typical problems encountered in plug flow reactors (PFR) related to heat transfer, mixing, handling biphasic reactions, and photochemistry. Lessons are taken from kilogram level syntheses developed in pharmaceutical process chemistry groups.

连续流动的显着优势很大程度上是反应器的微型特征。但是，随着该技术在合成活性药物成分（API）中获得工业吸引力，必须将反应器规模扩大到更大的尺寸，以满足生产需求。通常，微观特征无法保留，因此挑战在于将微观的利益转移到中试工厂及以后。这篇综述提供了解决活塞流反应器（PFR）中与传热，混合，处理双相反应和光化学有关的典型问题的解决方案。教训是从制药过程化学小组中开发的千克级合成中学到的。