*3.2.2 Tubular reactor setup (type 1)*

The tubular flow reactor was fabricated using perfluroalcoxy alkane (PFA) tubes with internal diameter 1.58 and 3.175 mm (supplied by Swagelok) coiled with the definite volume rolled into a disc form, connected with a T- joint and a static mixer (supplied by ColeParmer) and immersed into a bath circulator. Two pumps A and B (QG50, supplied by FMI, Inc) were used to pump the reaction mixture at a definite flow rate. The open bath circulator (supplied by Huber, Germany) was used to control the temperature of the flow reactor. The schematic and actual image of the experimental setup is shown in **Figure 2**.

**Figure 1.** *Schematic and actual image of the batch reactor.*

**Figure 2.** *Schematic and actual image of the tubular reactor.*

### *3.2.3 Packed bed reactor (type 2)*

The packed bed reactor (fabricated through ComBiotech, Bengaluru) was made up of glass, filled with glass beads of 2 mm thickness with a sintered disc at the bottom. The diameter and the length of the reactor are 24 and 240 mm respectively. The volume of the column is 105 mL, with packing is around 56 mL. The PFA tubes were used for all fluid connections. The reactor jacket inlet and outlet (12 mm threaded ends) were connected to a bath circulator (supplied by Huber, Germany), to maintain the required temperature of the reactor. The reactor inlet was connected to two pumps (QG50, Fluid metering, Inc) to pump the reaction mixture along with a static mixer in-line to the reactor and a k-type thermocouple was placed in the packed bed to monitor the internal bed temperature. The schematic and actual image of the experimental setup is shown in **Figure 3**. The output of the reactor was connected to a collection vessel. The samples were drawn from the collection tube and analyzed through a conductivity meter. The reactions were performed both in an upward and downward flow to study the process variations in detail.
