Continuous Flow Synthesis of APIs
Paul Watts,
Distinguished Professor and Research Chair,
Nelson Mandela University
When micro reactor technology was first introduced it was seen as a research and development tool suitable for small scale production, however it is now being used to produce large quantities of product. The key driver in these examples being safety, where the excellent mixing and heat transfer characteristics of micro structured reactors enables these highly exothermic reactions to be safely performed. There is now a plethora of commercial reactors on the market, which means that most companies are investigating this technology to rapidly screen reactions utilizing continuous flow, leading to the identification of reaction conditions that are suitable for use at a production level. The inherent safety associated with the use of small reactor volumes enables users to employ reaction conditions previously thought to be too hazardous for use within a production environment; such as extreme reaction conditions or the use of hazardous compounds. Consequently, the types of reactions available to the R&D chemist increases through the use of this technology. It is this system flexibility that has the potential to reduce both the time taken and risk associated with transferring reaction methodology from research to production. A selection of reactions demonstrated using this technology will be outlined.
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