Flow chemistry

Chemistry is key to achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which is a blueprint for a better and more sustainable future for all by 2030. Among them, mobile chemistry, in which the reaction is performed in a continuously flowing stream rather than mass production, is particularly important for solving SDG12: responsible consumption and production. The flow chemistry process ultimately minimizes the risks of handling hazardous materials and increasing productivity, while preventing hazards and reducing the impact on the environment. Although some believe that mobile chemistry is in the very early stages of small-scale laboratories, efficient industrial applications are becoming more common.

Back in 2015, MIT chemists demonstrated the potential of flow chemistry to create custom polymers that are difficult to achieve with classic batch technology. According to experts in the field, the process is faster, simpler, and more reliable, which is very consistent with the SDG goal.

Recent examples have even shown the potential of flow chemistry to withstand harmful reagents such as organolithium compounds. Merck chemists have achieved 100-kilogram-scale verubecestat precursor synthesis, a Phase III drug candidate for Alzheimer's disease. Other recent examples include the flow synthesis of ciprofloxacin, an essential antibiotic, and the automated flow system developed by Pfizer, which analyzes up to 1,500 reaction conditions per day, accelerating new and existing drugs Discovery of the best synthetic route.