Laurus Synthesis acquires reaction optimisation and process design tools

Published: 18-Mar-2016

New technology will benefit Laurus Synthesis’ clients via improvements in speed, reliability and the automation of data collection


Stuart Needleman, President of Laurus Synthesis, has announced that the company has acquired a suite of specialised reaction optimisation and process design equipment that will improve process reliability.

‘This addition to our equipment portfolio gives us a sophisticated set of analytical tools and automation technologies. We anticipate that it will greatly enhance our capabilities in design of experiments (DoE), process understanding and safety,’ he said.

This new technology will benefit Laurus Synthesis’ clients via improvements in speed, reliability and the automation of data collection. The equipment provides the ability to conduct real-time monitoring of reactions, which eliminates the need to pause for HPLC analysis.

The system controls numerous laboratory variables so that results are consistent and reproducible. From a safety perspective, the equipment improves process safety by greatly reducing the chance of a runaway reaction. The technology also gives Laurus Synthesis the ability to see how starting materials are being consumed, which results in more efficient process development.

The equipment includes a ReactIR 15 for in situ FTIR Spectroscopy, a ParticleView V819 probe-based microscope to visualise particles and particle mechanisms as they exist in process, an EasyMax 102 Advanced Synthesis Workstation to optimise new synthetic routes, and a Focused Beam Reflectance Measurement (FBRM) to measure particles at full process concentration without the need for sample extraction and sample preparation. This equipment, which was manufactured by Mettler Toledo, is operational at the Laurus Synthesis site in Woburn (Massachusetts, USA).

According to Needleman, the enhancements to Laurus Synthesis extend well beyond hardware. He stated: ‘Our process development team has had significant, hands-on experience with these reaction optimisation and process design tools and are ready to put them to use here in Woburn to overcome our clients’ process development challenges.

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