Flow Chemistry and Continuous Process Control

The Enabling Technologies group is concerned with flow chemistry and continuous process control, which encompasses a variety of synthetic transformations and experimental techniques. In particular, this includes handling hazardous, and/or unstable reagents and gases in flow environments, often in extreme temperature and pressure regimes. The group also has experience in flow photochemistry and electrochemistry, as well as real-time monitoring of flow processes using appropriate in-line sensors. A particular focus of the group is the application of AI for automated process monitoring and the development of self-optimized flow processes.

In the context of sustainability research, the focus is on green processes. These must be scalable to achieve relevant environmental impacts. For this, it is necessary to work on a direct translation from laboratory to industrial scale. For this, it is essential that safe, robust and cost-effective processes are developed at the earliest design stage by bringing together ideas from green chemistry and green engineering. Continuous flow processing is specifically designed to meet these requirements: For a variety of processes, efficiency - whether in mass, energy, space, or time - can be maximized through improved heat and mass transfer, precise residence time control, shorter process times, better product quality, reduced space requirements, or ease of scalability. The Kappe Group's contributions include the development of continuous processes for the production of a wide range of chemicals (especially active pharmaceutical ingredients) with particular attention to sustainability and environmental impact.

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