An alliance between two Cambridge-based companies has resulted in the launch of a new system designed to make flow chemistry more accessible to organic synthesis laboratories.
The FlowSyn Continuous Flow Reactor from Uniqsis - an alliance between Asynt and Grant Instruments - is said to be the first commercial system to integrate the essential elements for continuous flow chemistry into a single package.
"Continuous flow synthesis offers synthetic and process chemists a wide range of benefits, however some current commercial systems are very expensive," said Uniqsis chief executive officer Martyn Fordham.
"Other approaches involve coupling up an assortment of different components, and pose significant system control and monitoring issues."
Flow chemistry in micro-reactors has many advantages over batch processing - better reproducibility and scalability, improved yields and fewer problems with unstable intermediates or highly exothermic reactions.
All components, from reagent storage, through pumps and reactors to control valves and user interface, are contained in a single compact, space-saving package free from trailing cables and external tubing. There is a choice of reactors - column reactors for heterogeneous reactions or the Uniqsis Coil Reactors for homogeneous reactions. Experiments can be set up in a few seconds, after which equilibration, running the reaction and system cleaning is performed automatically. All wetted components are manufactured from inert materials, and all pressurised components are isolated, with an active pressure monitoring system to detect leaks and blockages.
FlowSyn is simple to set up and operate and offers safe, unattended operation for tasks such as synthesis, reaction optimisation and scale up experiments, in quantities from milligrams to hundreds of grams.
Depending on the reactor material, temperatures and pressures up to 200ºC and 50 bar can be used. Fordham said: "Temperatures, pressures and flows can be very accurately controlled, so reaction conditions are easily reproduced. EMRT allows microwave-like conditions to be created easily in a flow reactor, but under better control. Another advantage of this technology is that heat transfer is very rapid, so safety is significantly improved, especially with those unexpected exotherms".
Uniqsis was formed in January 2007 from a partnership between Asynt, a supplier of organic synthesis apparatus, and Grant Instruments, a scientific equipment manufacturer.