OPTIMUM (Oxidative Flow Platform Utilising Porous liquids, 3D printing and Microbubble Technology at Almac)

OPTIMUM是一个创新和新颖的项目，以发展工业化学领域的女性未来领导者为中心，但也将提供一个成功的利用分子氧的连续氧化平台。分子氧是一种廉价、丰富、原子效率高的试剂，但目前在化学制造工业中应用较少。规模经济允许大量化学过程以高度集成的方式进行，具有相应的操作效率和协同效应。对于像ASL这样在制药/精细化工行业中操作的CDMOs来说，这根本是不可行的，因为需要更低的传递目标/更复杂的分子，并且需要在多用途反应器中开发此类流动过程（如其批量对应过程）。由于反应器内的顶空相当大，并且有爆炸的危险，有氧氧化反应属于难以分批进行的独特反应类别。从A点到E点，有五个战略驱动因素可以选择流动化学而不是传统的批量化学。更快的反应：通常在连续流动下，由于改进的混合，反应更快，更好的传热，因为与传统的批处理容器相比，更小的结构提供了更高的表面积和体积。b .由于能够达到在批量中无法达到的温度和压力，反应速率也提高了，并且有可能实现自动反应筛选。更安全的反应：连续流动本质上是更安全的，因为在任何时候都有小体积的反应中间体/危险试剂在现场处理，从而大大降低了风险。具有挑战性的反应：那些难以批量放大的反应，如高压、高能、氧化或光化学，可以在连续流下进行。产品质量：严格的化学计量控制提高了产品质量，因为产品从试剂中抽离，从而减少了作为副产品形成的杂质。在线监控可以识别产品质量的变化，并允许转移浪费，消除不合格批次。执行可控淬火的能力意味着简单的工作，通常减少了所需的处理步骤。占地面积更小：设备比典型的批处理容器小得多，能够定制流量钻机以适应工艺和更高的单位生产率。公众很可能会对用于化学和药品生产的简单方法以及在生产我们都依赖的药品和精细化学品过程中产生的大量有害环境的废物感到惊讶。英国化学工业面临着来自低成本经济体的激烈竞争，在将新产品推向市场方面遇到了真正的困难。为了作为英国经济的重要组成部分生存下来，并继续提供医疗保健解决方案，该行业寻求通过使用尖端技术和更有效的运营实践来保持竞争力，所有这些都以确保其实践的可持续性为背景。尽管近年来连续流技术受到越来越多的关注，但目前工业化工生产的最先进技术仍然是简单的批处理工艺。OPTIMUM的目标是进一步培训/发展确定的研究员（以及他们的相关项目团队），并在有助于改变当前最先进的生产工艺的领域开展研究，开发用于精细化学品生产的连续流设备。

OPTIMUM is an innovative and novel project, centred on the development of a female Future Leader in the industrial chemical sector, but which will also deliver a successful continuous oxidation platform utilising molecular oxygen. Molecular oxygen is a cheap, abundant, atom efficient reagent but is currently under utilised within the chemical manufacturing industry. Economy of scale allows bulk chemical processes to be performed in a highly integrated manner, with attendant operational efficiencies and synergies. For CDMOs like ASL operating within the pharmaceutical/fine chemical industry this is simply not feasible, due to the lower delivery targets/more complex molecules required, and as such flow processes (like their batch counterparts) need to be developed within multi-purpose reactors. Aerobic oxidations fall into a unique category of reactions which are difficult to perform in batch, due to the considerable headspace within reactors and the associated risk of explosion.There are five strategic drivers towards choosing flow chemistry over traditional batch as outlined in points A to E:A. Faster reactions: typically under continuous flow reactions are faster due to improved mixing, better heat transfer as a result of the smaller-scale architectures offering higher surface area to volume when compared with traditional batch vessels. Reaction rate is increased also by the ability to access temperatures and pressures inaccessible in batch and there is the potential for automated reaction screening.B. Safer reactions: continuous flow is inherently safer due to the small volumes reacting at any one time with reactive intermediates/hazardous reagents handled in situ thus minimising the risk significantly.C. Challenging reactions: reactions which are difficult to scale up in batch, such as high pressure, high energy, oxidation or photochemical can be performed under continuous flow.D. Product quality: tight controls of stoichiometry improves product quality, as product is pumped away from reagents resulting in fewer impurities formed as by-products. In-line monitoring can identify a change in product quality and allow for diversion to waste eliminating failed batches. The ability to perform a controlled quench means simple work-up with typically a reduced number of handling steps required.E. Smaller footprint: equipment is much smaller than typical batch vessels with the ability to tailor the flow rig to suit the process and higher unit productivity.The public may well be surprised at the unsophisticated methods that are employed for chemical and pharmaceutical production and the large amounts of environmentally harmful waste generated in the production of medicines and fine chemicals that we all rely on. The UK chemical industry faces serious competition from low cost economies and real difficulties in bringing new products to the market. To survive as a significant part of the UK economy, and continue providing healthcare solutions, the industry seeks to remain competitive through using cutting-edge technologies and more efficient operating practices, all with a backdrop of ensuring sustainability in its practices. Although continuous flow has gained increasing attention in recent years, the current-state-of-the-art for industrial chemical production is still simple batch processes. OPTIMUM aims to further train/develop the identified Fellow (along with their associated project team) and carry out research in areas which will help change the current state-of-the-art production processes developing continuous flow equipment trains for the production of fine chemicals.