Vapourtec plays a major role in Flow Chemistry breakthroughs

Vapourtec has reached the notable landmark of appearing in 125 peer reviewed publications, making Vapourtec the clear leader in terms of research breakthroughs and published findings for flow chemistry systems.

Sun Shines on Vapourtec R-Series Down Under

Vapourtec’s R-Series flow chemistry system has played its part in another significant breakthrough with the development in Australia of a brand new sun cream based on mimicking the natural protection to sunlight created by coral in the Great Barrier Reef.

Research undertaken by Victoria-based scientific engineering firm CSIRO, on behalf of skincare company Larissa Bright Australia, utilised Vapourtec’s R-Series flow chemistry systems and has led to the creation of the first sun cream formulated from a molecule that delivers both UVA and UVB protection.

Already extensively showcased on media Down Under, the new formulation is expected to be available on supermarket shelves within the next few years. Vapourtec managing director and founder Duncan Guthrie commented: “This provides even more proof that flow chemistry can help deliver innovation that impacts directly on the real world.

"R-Series systems used in the laboratories at CSIRO allowed  for the synthesis of this new molecule safely and easily using flow chemistry principles and processes,” added Duncan.

Continuous Flow Carbonylation Reactions Eliminating the Use of Toxic Carbon Monoxide

Andrew M. Sales and Application
Specialist at Vapourtec Ltd

Researchers from Janssen Research and Development (Spain), the University of Leuven and the Universidad de Castilla-La Macncha have shown a continuous flow process for carbonylation reactions without the need of toxic carbon monoxide and have shown new chemical reactivity under flow conditions that were not previously possible under batch conditions.

Continuous flow chemistry has developed to be a useful enabling technology that allows access to novel process windows giving excellent control of reaction parameters. The use of this technique contributes to sustainability as it allows hazardous compounds to be better contained and in some cases allows the reduction of these dangerous chemicals while allowing the reaction to be easily scaled.

More information at vapourtec

Continuous Flow Carbonylation Reactions Eliminating the Use of Toxic Carbon Monoxide Gas Using the Vapourtec R-Series flow chemistry system researchers from Janssen Research and Development (Spain), the University of Leuven and the...

For more information download the attached pdf

Revolutionary “E-series” Flow Chemistry System

The new Vapourtec E-Series flow chemistry system offers a breakthrough in simplicity and robustness

New Vapourtec E-Series
Flow Chemistry System

while providing unprecedented value for money. Some of the salient features include:

Flexibility: The system has provision for up to 3 reagent pumps, and 2 reactor positions which accepts the full range of tube and column reactors from the popular and well proven Vapourtec R-Series platform.

Robustness: The system which is reliable and works across a wide range of flow rates, is also capable of pumping strong acids, organometallic reagents, light suspensions and gases.

Ease of use: The user interface allows seamless use of the features present on the system.

Apart from these features other technical features include the V-3 Pump, Inert Gas Blanketing, automated collection of product and waste stream and availability of advanced E-series tools.

The system comes with laboratory teaching manual, available with all E-Series systems.

Please read more about the revolutionary E-Series flow chemistry system.

VAPOURTEC introduces PHOTO-Reactor

Continuous Photochemical Reactions

Photochemistry, the use of light to effect chemical reactions, has a number of important applications

Photo Reactor

both in nature, such as photosynthesis and vitamin D formation, and in industry. However for the modern synthetic chemist photochemistry at lab scale has fallen out of favour. There are a number of reasons for this including; availability and complexity of equipment, safety, control of reaction conditions and difficulty in scale up.

Vapourtec has now made available for both the E-Series and R-Series systems an advanced photo chemical reactor intended for continuous flow operation. By eliminating the problems associated with traditional batch photochemistry Vapourtec’s new reactor, the UV-150 enables chemists to take full advantage of the powerful reactions and synthetic routes offered by photo chemical reactions.

Read the full documentation here

Vapourtec R-Series sales top 200

More info - Vapourtec R-Series

Chemistry engineering specialists Vapourtec (Suffolk, UK) has seen its flagship R-Series flow chemistry system reach a notable milestone with global sales recently reaching the 200 mark.

The R-Series has a wide range of applications and is already used around the world by many major companies including BP, Pfizer, GSK, Sanofi, Novartis and Johnson & Johnson.

The 200th system was purchased by the University of Manitoba, based at Winnipeg in Canada. Assistant Professor Geoff Tranmer PhD from their Faculty of Pharmacy is no stranger to Vapourtec’s technology having first used the R-Series system whilst at Cambridge University in 2006.

Geoff Tranmer commented: “I feel the R-Series robust performance, accessible usability and flexibility will genuinely enhance my group’s ability to develop innovative flow chemistry techniques and allow us to make many breakthroughs in pharmaceutical research as a result."

“Vapourtec’s ability to make design and engineering
innovations in terms of complementary add-ons
and expansion modules have enabled the R-Series to stay ahead of the game,” added Geoff.

Vapourtec’s founder and MD Duncan Guthrie commented: “The R-Series system was launched in 2006 with the aim of making flow chemistry, a fast growing alternative to batch chemistry, more flexible, precise and ultimately productive.

“It has impacted positively on flow chemistry research in a wide range of industries and fields covering petrochemicals, flavourings, pharmaceuticals, generic drug manufacture, polymers and organic electronics.

“Already cited as pivotal within 110 published research papers, the R-Series is one of two flow chemistry systems designed and manufactured by Vapourtec with the E-Series launched in 2013.

“We are delighted that Geoff has helped us reach the 200 landmark as it demonstrates the loyalty and trust that the R-Series has elicited within chemistry research,” added Duncan.

Vapourtec design and manufacture flow chemistry systems for a wide variety of sectors across the globe including education, pharmaceutical and industry and their technology has been cited as playing a pivotal part in recent major research breakthroughs.

Established in 2003, Vapourtec has developed a flourishing international market for its technology with sales across much of the developed world including USA, Canada, China, Japan, Singapore and India.

Vapourtec publishes Flow Chemistry Guide

Suffolk (UK) based Vapourtec has partnered up with Dr Nicholas Leadbeater and the New Synthetic Methods Group at the University of Connecticut (USA) to produce a new guide entitled “An Introduction to Flow Chemistry – A Practical Laboratory Course”.

Aimed principally at undergraduate teaching laboratories within colleges and universities, but also a great asset to the research lab, the 100 page manual details a set of ten continuous-flow processing experiments, each of which can be easily delivered in conjunction with Vapourtec’s E-series flow unit during a regular lab period.

Dr Leadbeater, Associate Professor at the University of Connecticut and widely recognised as one of the leading lights in the fields of flow chemistry and new educational initiatives, commented: “Flow chemistry offers a lot of exciting possibilities in terms of running reactions for a wide variety of industries and it’s vital that it is encouraged and nurtured in the field of education.”

“This guide is designed to bring flow chemistry to life for the chemists of tomorrow and complements one of the leading technologies in the form of Vapourtec’s E-series flow unit, an affordable and robust flow chemistry system that is perfectly geared towards the needs of academic teaching and research labs,” added Dr Leadbeater.

The manual features two Nobel Prize-winning reactions; a palladium-catalysed cross-coupling and a ruthenium catalysed alkene metathesis as well as focusing on cleaner, greener chemistry such as an oxidation reaction using household bleach as the oxidant. Also included is the synthesis of heterocycles, a rearrangement reaction and a sweet-smelling esterification, amongst others.

Each experiment comes with a brief introduction and step-by-step instructions for performing, working-up and analysing the reaction. All of the experiments were designed, developed, tested and re-tested by two talented graduate students, Christopher Kelly and Michael Mercadante, working in Dr Leadbeater’s group.

Vapourtec MD Duncan Guthrie, who founded the company in 2003, commented: “The potential offered by flow chemistry is immense and it’s already a proven method for the more efficient manufacture of a host of beneficial substances including active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs), agrochemicals, flavorings, fragrances and speciality polymers.”

“This guide is a great way of introducing continuous flow processing into the educational sphere and will help to train the next generation of chemists,” added Duncan.