Enabling High Throughput Kinetic Experimentation by Using Flow as a Differential Kinetic Technique

Area of Science:

• Chemical kinetics
• Flow chemistry
• Reaction engineering

Background:

• Kinetic data is crucial for understanding chemical reactions.
• Traditional methods often involve time-series data collection under batch or flow conditions.
• Existing flow methods primarily collect integral kinetic data, limiting direct rate measurement.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a method for rapid, direct collection of differential kinetic data in flow.
• To enable high-throughput kinetic experimentation and reaction profiling.
• To assess the robustness of homogeneously catalyzed reactions using kinetic profiles.

Main Methods:

• Utilizing a segmented flow platform for sequential, small-scale reactions.
• Performing instantaneous rate measurements to generate differential kinetic data.
• Comparing kinetic profiles at varying residence times to evaluate reaction stability.

Main Results:

• Demonstrated a method for direct differential kinetic data collection in flow.
• Achieved a 40-fold increase in experimental throughput compared to batch methods.
• Successfully screened 216 kinetic profiles for a proline-mediated aldol reaction in 90 hours.

Conclusions:

• The developed method significantly enhances the speed and efficiency of kinetic studies.
• This approach allows for robust interrogation of reaction stability under flow conditions.
• High-throughput kinetic screening in flow reduces reaction times and material consumption.