Flow Chemistry Europe 2018 Agenda

Registration, Coffee & Pastries

Welcome Address
Ferenc Darvas, Chairman, Flow Chemistry Society, Switzerland

Conference Chairs Welcome to Flow Chemistry Europe 2018
Mimi Hii, Professor, Imperial College London, United Kingdom
Oscar de Frutos, Research Advisor / Group Leader, Eli Lilly and Company, Spain

The "Functional Solvent Factory" - Model-based Solvent Selection, Process Opportunities and Impact Assessment
Volker Hessel, Professor, Eindhoven University of Technology, Australia

Functional solvents systems are explored as integrated reactor-separators. 

Recent Advances in Real Time Spectroscopy and Calorimetry for Monitoring Flow Chemistry Processes
Stefan Lobbecke, Head of Department, Energetic Materials, Fraunhofer Institute for Chemical Technology, Germany

Coffee & Networking in Exhibition Hall

Continuous Manufacturing at Novartis Pharma
Joerg Sedelmeier, Principal Scientist Process R&D Chemist, Novartis, Switzerland

A “toolbox approach” to address ambitious project timelines will be presented. A platform for conducting organolithium chemistry in continuous flow mode, covering the scales from medicinal chemistry to later phase process development will be described.

Flexible API Supply Technologies; Continuous Technologies for Transformational Change in API Development and Manufacturing
Nick Thomson, Senior Director, Chemical Research and Development , Pfizer, Inc., United States of America

I will provide an overview of the Pfizer strategy for API continuous development and manufacturing and examples of newly developed continuous technologies and product applications.

An Open-Source Approach to Low Cost Automation in Flow Chemistry
Matthew O'Brien, Lecturer in Organic Chemistry, Keele University, United Kingdom

This presentation will discuss an open-sourced approach to low-cost Automation in Flow Chemistry .

New Chemical Applications in Continuous Flow
Ryan Skilton, Research Scientist, Vapourtec Ltd

Lunch & Networking in the Exhibition Hall

Additive Manufacturing Applied to Advanced Reactor Engineering
Victor Sans Sangorrin, Assistant Professor, University of Nottingham, United Kingdom

In this presentation, the latest developments in the employment of additive manufacturing, also known as 3D printing, to manufacture micro and mesoscale continuous-flow reactors with advanced features, including advanced mixing, heat exchange and supported biocatalysts will be presented.

Immobilized Catalytic Systems for Asymmetric Flow Processses
Miquel A. Pericàs, Professor, Institute of Chemical Research of Catalonia (ICIQ), Spain

In this lecture we will discuss different strategies for the modification of homogeneous ligands and catalysts, in order to make possible its covalent immobilization.  Recent examples of the development of some immobilized, yet highly active catalytic species for enantioselective processes will be presented, and the development of continuous flow processes based on these immobilized species will be discussed.

The Use of Optimization Algorithms in Flow
Francois-Xavier Felpin, Professor, University de Nantes, France

We will discuss reaction optimizations in flow, using of a modified Simplex algorithm. The beneficial properties of flow reactors associated to the power of optimization algorithms for the fine-tuning of experimental parameters, allowed reactions to proceed in conditions unable to promote the coupling through traditional batch chemistry.

Sub-Micromolar Reaction Screening in Flow
Neal Sach, Associate Research Fellow, Pfizer, United States of America

A novel segmented flow technology is presented that enables sub-µmol scale reaction screening. This step change in scale, compared with typical batch methods, enables the potential to examine over 1500 combinations (solvent, base, catalyst, and temperature) automatically in 24 hours using just 15mg of substrate.  The presentation will demonstrate the technology through a model Suzuki coupling in which over 5000 combinations were completed in 4 days to arrive at a scalable process suitable for scale up, or scale-out.

Coffee & Networking in Exhibition Hall

Flow Synthesis of Pharmaceuticals: Feeding into an Emerging Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Industry in South Africa
Darren Riley, Senior Lecturer, University of Pretoria, South Africa

This talk will highlight efforts to develop robust syntheses of critical pharmaceuticals and will highlight efforts to use flow chemistry as an enabling technology to improve existing “batch” based process routes.

Watching Homogeneous Catalysis with Real-time High Resolution FlowNMR
Ulrich Hintermair, Whorrod Research Fellow/Professor, University of Bath, United Kingdom

I will present how operando reaction monitoring via continuous flow on-line NMR spectroscopy enables rapid access to high-quality kinetic data, and allows for mechanistic probe experiments leading to a better understanding of the complex, dynamic processes occurring during homogeneous catalysis in solution.

Photochemical Reactor Design: Technological and Safety Aspects
Alex Voronov, Head of R&D, Peschl Ultraviolet GmbH, Germany

The photochemical reactors based on Medium Pressure Mercury and Low Pressure Mercury/Amalgam Lamps are well known since decades and widely used in the modern chemical technologies. In many cases UV-initiated reactions are running in a flammable and volatile liquids with a low evaporation temperature. In the presentation the lamp physics, lamp parameters and technique in terms of safety factors are analyzed. It is shown that due to the lamp physics the lamp operation in an industrial photochemical reactor without special measures can be connected with some risks, e.g. an explosion or fire risk.  The analysis of the physical reasons for these risks leads to some important conclusions which give a clear way for the reactor configuration and design. Some design solutions with APEX certification are presented and discussed.

Poster Session

Close of Day 1

Registration, Coffee & Pastries

Innovation in Catalytic Methodology Development through Flow Chemistry
Timothy Noël, Professor, University of Amsterdam, Netherlands

In this presentation, we will give an overview of our catalytic methodology development, exemplified by photoredox catalysis and C–H activation chemistry, and how these synthetic methods were impacted by continuous-flow microreactor technology.

Continuous Multistep Synthesis Involving Unstable Intermediates
David Cantillo, Researcher, Graz University, Austria

In this presentation a series of examples of multistep reactions from our group, in which the problems associated with highly reactive and unstable intermediates have been solved via integrated continuous flow processing, will be discussed.

(Photo)Chemical Conversion of Diazonium Salts in Flow Including Online NMR Analysis
Thomas Rehm, Senior Scientist, Fraunhofer Institute for Microengineering and Microsystems IMM, Germany

Flow (photo)chemistry and online NMR analysis was applied to C-H arylation reactions with diazonium salts under mild reaction conditions. Excellent contacting in microreactors and contact-free online analysis proved their benefit for fine chemical synthesis in flow.

Organic Electrochemistry in Extended Channel Flow Reactors
Katherine Jolley, Research Fellow, Southampton University , United Kingdom

This talk will introduce a series of extended channel length electrochemical flow reactors developed within the Brown group and discuss some of the organic transformations we have applied them to.

Coffee & Networking in Exhibition Hall

Enlarging the Capabilities of Flow Reactors by 3D-metal Printing
Raf Reintjens, Principal Scientist Process Intensification, InnoSyn, Netherlands

The development of industrial micro reactors, encounters significant hurdles in minimizing the complexity originating from the numbering-up strategy, while achieving a performance cost ratio capable of competing with existing reactor technologies. Viable solutions were found in the combination of an adapted design strategy and a new manufacturing technology and will be discussed in this presentation.

Photochemistry in Flow: New Avenue for Drug Discovery
Jesus Alcazar, Principal Chemist, Janssen Research & Development, Spain

Upgrading of Bio-Sourced Platform Molecules Using Flow Chemistry
Jean-Christophe Monbaliu, Lecturer, Center for Integrated Technology and Organic Synthesis, University of Liège, Belgium

This lecture illustrates our work in flow chemistry with bio-sourced platform molecules. Selected examples deal with the upgrading of biomass-derived small platform molecules, and in particular the implementation of a deoxydehydration (DODH) reaction of glycerol towards allyl alcohol under continuous-flow conditions. The combination of a unique reactive dynamic feed solution approach and short exposure time to high temperature gave high yield and excellent selectivity. Other polyols are also studied. The second part of the lecture illustrates our effort for the continuous-flow production of glycerol carbonate using low environmental footprint processes.

The Benefits of Using SpinPro for Multiphase Reactions
Wouter Stam, Managing Director, Flowid Products BV

Lunch & Networking in the Exhibition Hall

Reactors and Reactions for Multiphase Continuous Flow Chemistry
John Blacker, Professor, Leeds University, United Kingdom

In order to usefully exploit continuous flow processes within the manufacture of Pharma, Fine and Agro Chemicals, it is necessary to be able to handle mixtures of solids, liquids and gases as these are commonly encountered in intense and productive processes. Most flow methodology reported to date deals with mono-phasic liquids for which tubular reactors are often used with poor mixing characteristics. On the other hand continuous stirred tank reactors (CSTRs) can handle multi-phasic systems, due to good mixing, and are well known in industry for large-scale reactions. However, to date there are few small-scale laboratory reactors that enable the testing and development of these types of reactions. This presentation will discuss recent developments in lab-scale cascade CSTRs and give a number of examples of multiphase continuous flow reactions.       

Engineering Multiphasic Reactors for Catalytic Reactions
Klaus Hellgardt, Professor, Imperial College London, United Kingdom

Multiphase Flows, Reactors & Process Intensification
Vivek Ranade, Professor of Chemical Engineering , Queens University Belfast, Ireland

Energy, water and chemicals encompass all aspects of life and influence wellbeing of every one every day. In these challenging (& interesting) times, there are incessant & increasing demands on resources on one hand and demands & restrictions imposed by global warming & other environmental factors on the other hand. It is therefore essential to develop sustainable solutions for energy, water & chemicals sectors which balance economic, ecological & societal needs. Insights, innovations and intensification are essential for achieving this. In this talk, I will briefly introduce use of our three technology platforms namely (1) MAGIC (modular, agile, intensified & continuous) processes and plants (2) hydrodynamic cavitation and (3) computational flow modelling for realizing desired sustainable solutions. Recent results and some thoughts on path forward will be shared. The approach and results discussed here will hopefully stimulate further developments towards realizing sustainable energy, water and chemicals.

Continuous-flow Photochemistry - Photochemistry 2.0?
Clemens Horn, Research Scientist, Corning SAS, France

The power of continuous-flow photochemistry is demonstrated with chemical reactions using a multi wavelength reactor and online Bench top NMR.

Coffee & Networking in Exhibition Hall

Tunable Asymmetric Photochemical Induction in Flow
Amanda Evans, Assistant Professor, California State University Fullerton, United States of America

This talk will focus on the use of circularly polarized (cp), or “chiral”, light as a supramolecular enantioinductive field for the generation of asymmetric building blocks as a continuous photochemical process.