Optimization of Gas-Liquid Sulfonation in Cross-Shaped Microchannels for α-Olefin Sulfonate Synthesis

The gas-liquid sulfonation of α-olefin sulfonate (AOS) in falling film reactors faces significant limitations, primarily due to poor mass transfer efficiency and excessive byproduct formation. To overcome these challenges, a novel cross-shaped microchannel reactor was developed for the continuous gas-liquid sulfonation of α-olefin (AO) with gaseous sulfur trioxide (SO₃). The influence of key process parameters, including gas-phase flow rate, reaction temperature, SO₃/AO molar ratio, and SO₃ volume fraction, on product characteristics and their interactions was systematically investigated using the single-factor experiment and response surface methodology (RSM). A high-precision empirical model (coefficient of determination, <i>R</i>² = 0.9882) to predict product content was successfully constructed. To achieve multi-objective optimization considering product active substance content and energy efficiency, a strategy combining a two-population genetic algorithm with the entropy-weighted TOPSIS (Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution) method was implemented. Optimal conditions were determined as follows: gas-phase flow rate of 228 mL/min, reaction temperature of 52 °C, SO₃/AO molar ratio of 1.27, and SO₃ volume fraction of 4%. Compared to conditions optimized solely by RSM, this multi-objective approach achieved a significant 10% reduction in energy efficiency, with only a marginal 3.8% decrease in active substance content. This study demonstrates the feasibility and advantages of microreactors for the efficient and green synthesis of AOS.