Flow Chemistry Platform with a Photochemical Reactor for Applications in Organic Chemistry and Materials Science

世界各地的许多公司，特别是制药/农用化学品公司，目前正在投入资金和努力，以便从标准化学方法（分批工艺）转向连续流动方法。流动工艺允许更安全、更快速和更经济的合成方法，并且与“绿色”化学哲学完美和谐。因此，不仅要调整现有的反应，而且要同时开发用于这种方法的新工艺。不幸的是，如果没有足够的设备，研究人员就不可能使他们的研究适应行业的新现实。收购一个带有光化学反应器的流动化学平台将使各个小组能够在有机化学和材料科学中开发多种应用。例如，在有机化学中，流动化学将应用于绿色化学和催化（T。Ollevier），氟化化合物的合成（J. F. Paquin）、密集官能化结构的区域和立体控制组装（J. Boukouvalas）和无过渡金属的催化方法（F. G.方丹）。在当地使用这种仪器实际上阻止了所有这些团体使用连续流方法来调整其化学和/或进一步开发新的转化。在材料科学领域，我们开展最先进研究项目的能力在很大程度上取决于我们的材料产量。事实上，需要准备大量的材料，因为完整的表征和测试是消耗材料的过程。因此，缺乏获得这种工具的机会会严重损害我们学院中以材料为导向的研究小组，使他们有机会产生大量可以在高影响力期刊上发表的结果。例如，J的学生- F. Morin和M. Leclerc需要为几个研究小组提供材料，以获得出色和可靠的结果。即使与间歇化学相比，流动系统可以生产的材料量和节省的时间很重要，但该过程的反应条件的优化可能是耗时的。人们需要准备试剂，设置设备并确定最佳产率和转化率的正确流速。逻辑上认为，一个学生在查看特定的转换时，需要连续几个小时/几天使用系统。由于将有60多名研究人员使用该流动系统，我们预计它将持续使用。总的来说，所要求的仪器将在科学质量和生产方面产生巨大影响，但也在HQP培训方面。这也将使拉瓦尔大学化学系在使用这种新兴而强大的技术方面发挥领导作用。

Various companies worldwide, notably in the pharmaceutical/agrochemical, are currently investing money and efforts in order to move from the standard chemical approach (batch process) to a continuous flow approach. Flow processes allow for safer, faster and more economical approaches to synthesis and is in perfect harmony with a "green" chemistry philosophy. It is therefore essential not only to adapt existing reactions, but also simultaneously develop new processes for this approach. Unfortunately, without the adequate equipment, it will not be possible for researchers to adapt their research to the new reality of the industry. The acquisition of a flow chemistry platform with a photochemical reactor would allow the various groups to develop multiple applications in organic chemistry and material sciences. For instance, in organic chemistry, flow chemistry would be applied to green chemistry and catalysis (T. Ollevier), synthesis of fluorinated compounds (J.-F. Paquin), regio- and stereocontrolled assemblage of densely functionalized structures (J. Boukouvalas), and transition metal-free catalytic processes (F.-G. Fontaine). The local access to such instrument actually prevents all these groups to adapt their chemistry and/or further developed new transformations using the continuous flow approach. In materials science, our ability to conduct state-of-the-art research programs strongly depends on our materials output. In fact, large amounts need to be prepared as complete characterization and testing are material-consuming processes. Hence, a lack of access to such instrument significantly harms materials-oriented research groups in our faculty in their chance to produce significant amount of results that could be published in high-impact journals. For instance, the students of J.-F. Morin and M. Leclerc need to provide several research groups with materials in order to get excellent and reliable results. Even if the amount of material that can be produced and the time saved by flow systems is important compared to batch chemistry, the optimization of reaction conditions for the process can be time consuming. One needs to prepare the reagents, set-up the apparatus and determine the right flow rate for optimal yield and conversion. It is logical to think that one student looking at a specific transformation will need to work with the system several consecutive hours/days. Since there are more than 60 researchers who will be using the flow system, we expect that it will be used continuously. Overall, the requested instrument will have a huge influence in terms of scientific quality and production, but also in terms of HQP training. It would also allow the Department of Chemistry at Université Laval to assume a leadership role in the use of this emerging and powerful technique.