Halocarbon boosts intermediates capability

Fluorochemicals specialist Halocarbon ProdFluorochemicals specialist Halocarbon Products Corporation has added Grignard reactions to its capabilities.

The Grignard Reaction is a tool for the manufacture of advanced fluorinated intermediates for pharmaceuticals, and Grignard reagents enable the formation of carbon-carbon bonds with a large number of functional groups, typically without the addition of heat or catalysts.

The reagents are air- and moisture-sensitive species that react violently with many compounds, although formation of the reagent itself is often even more hazardous, and some fluorinated species are unstable under these conditions. Grignard reagents and reactions typically use highly flammable solvents. The company says that several compounds are under active development. "The use of the Grignard Reaction allows us to make more sophisticated fluorinated building blocks from our existing products," said ceo Peter Murin.

"Halocarbon has the resources and core expertise in fluorine chemistry to use Grignard reagents from lab scale to multi-ton production in a rapid, efficient manner, routinely producing fluorinated molecules that are often used in Grignard reactions," added Barry Jones, technical director, Halocarbon Products.