Grant: Research Tools and Instruments

Continuous flow chemical synthesis is poised to revolutionize both the way that pharmaceuticals and advanced materials are manufactured, and the way we use artificial intelligence and robotics for exploring chemical reactivity. Relative to traditional batch synthesis, flow synthesis provides more precise control over the reaction conditions, more reliable monitoring of a reaction's progress, better containment of highly hazardous materials, the ability to directly flow the products of one chemical reaction into a subsequent reaction, and the opportunity to automate many operational aspects. Because of these clear advantages, many industries (particularly the pharmaceutical and agrochemical industries) are adopting these new technologies. Yet the use of continuous flow tools and techniques is still rare in academic research labs. The Leitch, Manners, McIndoe, Rosenberg, and Wulff groups at the University of Victoria urgently require continuous flow capabilities to tackle problems as diverse as chemical reaction development, synthesis of new biologically active molecules, understanding chemical reactivity for complex processes, building automated systems for chemical synthesis, and creating next generation polymer and nanoparticle materials. This proposal seeks funding for a modular, custom laboratory flow chemistry system capable of achieving a wide range of reaction conditions and scales. The proposed equipment can operate with everything from milligrams of material undergoing reactions in seconds through to kilogram scale synthesis over multiple days of continuous operation, all in the space of a standard laboratory bench. This instrument will enable the applicant groups to explore entirely new avenues of research that are not possible using traditional means. These include devising methods to continuously analyze chemical reactions using multiple simultaneous techniques, studying the course of chemical reactions under extreme conditions, safely generating and handling highly reactive and potentially hazardous chemical intermediates en route to new products, and developing scalable continuous flow syntheses of key anti-cancer and anti-infective medicines as a bulwark against future drug shortages in Canada. The proposed flow chemistry system is a foundational tool for the recently established Leitch group, and represents a unique training opportunity for all researchers at UVic. As industries increasingly rely on continuous and automated manufacturing for fine chemicals and pharmaceuticals, it is imperative that our students become adept at using flow chemistry techniques and tools. This will enable researchers from our groups to be leaders in developing and implementing new continuous flow technologies.