Flow Chemistry Monitoring System Gives The Ley Group Window on Reactions

FTIR instrument allows faster optimization of processes, fewer experiments, and time savings

Published: Friday, November 18, 2011 - 12:03

(Mettler-Toledo: Zurich, Switzerland) -- The FlowIR flow chemistry monitoring system from Mettler-Toledo Inc., a leader in research and development of precision instruments, is providing valuable insight into the chemical synthesis projects performed by The Ley Group at the Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge. FlowIR is a dedicated Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) instrument for real-time continuous flow chemistry monitoring.

Fast, real-time information has enabled The Ley Group, which is a large, widely recognized group of researchers with a broad interest in organic chemistry, to gain a greater understanding of reaction and consequently has allowed processes to be optimized far more quickly. This has meant fewer experiments and time savings which are critical in the highly-competitive academic landscape.

The group also gained valuable quantitative information about reactions (i.e., conversation rates and concentrations) by using the system’s intuitive software to generate quick calibration curves. Because the FlowIR system doesn’t require an expert operator, it has become an integral part of students’ flow chemistry setups. The small footprint of the plug-and-play FlowIR allows for easy integration into multiple flow setups where space is limited.

The FlowIR has helped The Ley Group to solve the universal and long-standing dispersion problem (caused by the chromatographic effects of resins) when performing multi-step flow synthesis. By controlling the flow rate of a third reagent stream, using the live read-out facility to the dispersion curve mapped by the FlowIR, a significant simplification of the work-up and purification steps can be achieved along with a greater yield.

The FlowIR’s sensors, which are suitable for a wide range of chemical species including azides, organometallics, and boronic acids, offer the researchers a great deal of flexibility when looking at different chemistries, which enabled them to investigate chemistries and intermediates that were previously impossible.

For more information on FlowIR, visit www.mt.com/flowir.

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About The Author

Mettler-Toledo

Originally known for weighing technologies, today Mettler-Toledo International Inc. is a recognized leader in the research and development of products and services in communications, optics, robotics, and other technologies as well as software to integrate these technologies into powerful laboratory, industrial, and retail solutions. Mettler-Toledo offers the most comprehensive range of services in the precision instrument industry on a global level. It is a pioneer in the field of automated chemistry and in developing automatic, accurate, dimensioning and data capture technologies for the transportation/logistics industry.

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