Fluorous Phase Catalysis

Professor Dennis Curran, one of the leading figures in the area of fluorous phase catalysis gave an excellent presentation at the Novel Technologies meeting in Manchester, prior to ChemSpec exhibition.  Key references to his recent work include:

Ryu I et al, J Am Chem Soc., 2002, 124, 12946
Luo Z et al, Org Lett, 2002, 4, 2585
Tetrahedron Symposium in Print, May 2002
Stimulating concepts in Chemistry, Wiley-VCH NY 2000, p25

Curran has founded a new company Fluorous Technologies to exploit his discoveries.

Microwave Technology
Chris Mason fro CEM Microwave Technology Ltd, UK, presented issues related to the scale up of microwave-enhanced reactions at the Novel Technologies meeting in Manchester (June 3, 2003).

He presented novel results which indicate that intense microwave heating coupled with simultaneous cooling of the reaction gives best results and allows reactions which would be extremely slow thermally to be carried out quickly under microwave conditions using the Power Max.

These reactions are carried out in sealed systems so build up pressure (e.g. 250 E>psi for the Alder reaction).

The Voyager equipment is available from CEM for large lab studies, the equipment fitting into a standard fume hood.

Automation at Degussa
Degussa have designed an automated system comprising 8 x 100 ml reactors with associated instrumentation for use in process development.  It has been given the name ALFRED – Advanced Level Fast Reaction Engineering Device.  The device seems to offer far better process control than King Alfred had with the cakes!

ALFRED offers a high degree of temp control for each reactor, overhead stirring, ability to purge, distillation capability and robotic dosing control and sampling.

The equipment is being commercialised with a German equipment manufacturer and will be available soon.