Abstract

Strategic Applications of Heterogeneous Catalysis in Continuous Pharmaceutical Operations

Frank Gupton, Professor, Virginia Commonwealth University

Recent advancements in organic synthesis have been driven by the development of novel transition metal catalysts, enabling new transformations with unprecedented efficiency and selectivity. These efforts have been motivated by the growing need to develop safer, more environmentally friendly and more sustainable chemical processes.  However, in order to fully realize the benefits of these new synthetic tools, they must be integrated with continuous processing methodologies.  These continuous chemical processing systems provide the potential to streamline existing pharmaceutical processes and improve process operability. Specific applications for the continuous applications of key catalytic reactions routinely utilized in pharmaceutical processing will be provided to demonstrate the advantages of this alternative approach to drug synthesis.