3D printed fluidics with embedded analytic functionality for automated reaction optimisation.

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Chemical Engineering
• Analytical Chemistry

Background:

• Additive manufacturing (3D printing) offers novel methods for creating bespoke micro- and milliscale fluidic devices.
• Integration with monitoring software enables automated chemical synthesis.
• Existing 3D printing methods have limitations in handling high-temperature and high-pressure reactions or aggressive solvents.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the use of stereolithography and selective laser melting for fabricating multifunctional fluidic devices.
• To embed reaction monitoring capabilities within these 3D-printed devices.
• To demonstrate the potential for automated chemical synthesis and reaction optimization.

Main Methods:

• Utilized stereolithography and selective laser melting (SLM) additive manufacturing processes.
• Fabricated multifunctional fluidic devices with integrated reaction monitoring.
• Integrated devices with commercial flow chemistry, chromatography, and spectroscopy equipment.
• Performed automated online and inline optimization of reaction conditions.

Main Results:

• Successfully created 3D-printed metal fluidic devices using SLM, the first of their kind.
• Demonstrated the capability of these devices to perform high-temperature and high-pressure chemistry in aggressive solvent systems.
• Achieved automated optimization of two distinct chemical reactions (ketone functional group interconversion and fused polycyclic heterocycle formation) using integrated analytical techniques.

Conclusions:

• Additive manufacturing, particularly SLM, provides a viable route to producing robust, multifunctional metal fluidic devices.
• These devices enable advanced automated chemical synthesis and optimization under demanding reaction conditions.
• The integration of 3D-printed fluidics with online monitoring significantly enhances chemical process development.