Article
Polymer Science
Simeng Liu, Guoqiang Han, Mengmeng Zhang, Bijin Xiong, Jiangping Xu, Jintao Zhu
Summary: Grafting polymer ligands onto gold nanoparticles through gold-sulfur bonds is a common and easy way to produce gold-polymer hybrid nanoparticles. The bonding effects of sulfur-containing end groups on gold nanoparticles were investigated, and it was found that weak bonding between thiolactone-terminated polymers and gold nanoparticles resulted in unstable conjugates. By optimizing the assembly parameters, a superlattice film of gold-polymer conjugates could be constructed.
Article
Polymer Science
Gayathri Dev Ammini, Jordan P. P. Hooker, Joren Van Herck, Anil Kumar, Tanja Junkers
Summary: Continuous flow chemistry provides great operational flexibility for photochemical transformations. By using automated inline NMR monitoring with a variable DC power supply and precise control over light intensities, we conducted detailed kinetic investigations of PI-RAFT polymerizations. Our results showed increasing conversion with increasing light intensity until a saturation limit was reached, accompanied by an increase in residual polymer dispersity. However, when appropriate intensities were chosen, the reactions remained living. Additionally, quantitative study of the influence of the RAFT R-group emphasized the importance of selecting the right RAFT agent for photoRAFT polymerization.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Andrei Nikolaev, Zhipeng Lu, Arunavo Chakraborty, Lior Sepunaru, Javier Read De Alaniz
Summary: This study demonstrates the on-demand interconversion between living radical and cationic polymerization using a dual responsive catalyst, which allows for controlled polymer synthesis with a broader substrate scope. By alternately applying photochemical and electrochemical stimuli, the incorporation of acrylates and vinyl ethers can be achieved without compromising the polymer's end-group fidelity or dispersity. The results provide a proof-of-concept for extending the substrate scope for block copolymer synthesis under mild, metal-free conditions using a single, dual reactive catalyst.
JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Xabier Lopez de Pariza, Tim Erdmann, Pedro L. Arrechea, Leron Perez, Charles Dausse, Nathaniel H. Park, James L. Hedrick, Haritz Sardon
Summary: Conducting polymerizations under continuous-flow conditions has advantages over batch experimentation, especially in the synthesis of polyurethanes, allowing for rapid and precise control over material properties and improving process monitoring and control to minimize batch-to-batch variations.
CHEMISTRY OF MATERIALS
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Pieter-Jan Voorter, Gayathri Dev, Axel-Laurenz Buckinx, Jinhuo Dai, Priya Subramanian, Anil Kumar, Neil R. Cameron, Tanja Junkers
Summary: This study presents a one-pass continuous flow strategy to directly form block copolymer nanoaggregates from monomers. A significant improvement in continuous flow dialysis, achieved by developing an inline dialysis purification system, enables the fully continuous operation and high throughput operation. The developed system is at least 4-5 times faster than conventional dialysis and reduces the required amount of solvent by almost an order of magnitude compared to conventional methods.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Peter Sagmeister, Rene Lebl, Ismael Castillo, Jakob Rehrl, Julia Kruisz, Martin Sipek, Martin Horn, Stephan Sacher, David Cantillo, Jason D. Williams, C. Oliver Kappe
Summary: The study integrates four complementary process analytical technology tools in the multistep synthesis of the active pharmaceutical ingredient mesalazine, and develops advanced data analysis models to quantify desired products, intermediates, and impurities in real time. The system's capabilities have been demonstrated through steady state and dynamic experiments, representing a significant advancement in data-driven continuous flow synthesis.
ANGEWANDTE CHEMIE-INTERNATIONAL EDITION
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Diogo Ferreira-Faria, Filipa Domingos-Moreira, M. Raquel Aires-Barros, Antonio Ferreira, Ana M. Azevedo
Summary: Antibodies, as one of the most important drugs in the pharmaceutical industry, face increasing demand. This study explores continuous precipitation of antibodies using an oscillatory flow reactor (OFR) as an alternative purification platform. The combination of cross-linking and volume exclusion agents was examined, and continuous precipitation in the OFR showed promising results, achieving a recovery rate of over 99% and purity of 90% for antibodies. It is also worth noting that precipitation did not alter the secondary structure of the antibodies.
SEPARATION AND PURIFICATION TECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Manufacturing
Rodrigo Rill-Garcia, Eva Dokladalova, Petr Dokladal, Jean-Francois Caron, Romain Mesnil, Pierre Margerit, Malo Charrier
Summary: This paper proposes a computer vision-based methodology for detecting anomalies in 3D printing. The methodology consists of three modules: image acquisition, interlayer line and layer segmentation, and characterization of local geometry and texture. Experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed methodology.
ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING
(2022)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Joris Claes, Arne Vancleef, Marleen Segers, Bert Brabants, Mumin Enis Leblebici, Simon Kuhn, Luc Moens, Leen C. J. Thomassen
Summary: The aminolysis reaction with heterogeneous feed and product was investigated. The optimal non-hazardous solvent was selected through batch reactor solvent screening. The highest yield obtained was 86.4%. The optimal reaction conditions were successfully applied in a pulsatile flow reactor, resulting in a product yield of 97%.
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING AND PROCESSING-PROCESS INTENSIFICATION
(2023)
Article
Polymer Science
Alexey Sivokhin, Dmitry Orekhov, Oleg Kazantsev, Ksenia Otopkova, Olga Sivokhina, Yuri Chesnokov, Michael Smirnov, Alexey Ovchinnikov, Ilya Makhov
Summary: High-molecular weight amphiphilic PEG-based bottlebrushes were successfully synthesized through continuous flow photoiniferter polymerization. The polymerization was carried out using blue LED light under mild conditions, resulting in thermoresponsive copolymers with good yields and low dispersity. The effect of solvent, temperature, comonomer composition, and flow rate on the properties of the copolymers was investigated.
Review
Engineering, Environmental
Jian Wang, Xin Hu, Ning Zhu, Kai Guo
Summary: The combination of microflow technology with photo-RAFT and light-PISA has provided distinct advantages not achievable in traditional batch reactors, leading to well-defined polymers and advanced nano-objects. This mini-review summarizes various photo-RAFT and light-PISA strategies in microreactors and highlights the remaining challenges in the field.
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING JOURNAL
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Organic
Jorge Garcia-Lacuna, Marcus Baumann
Summary: Continuous flow technology is widely used in chemical synthesis, and the integration of inline analysis and purification tools plays a crucial role in achieving effective and reliable flow processes. This article summarizes recent applications of various inline purification techniques and discusses their advantages and drawbacks, providing guidance for researchers to select the most suitable approach for future applications.
BEILSTEIN JOURNAL OF ORGANIC CHEMISTRY
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Marc Escriba-Gelonch, Jodie Bricout, Volker Hessel
Summary: The research applies circular economy principles to a flow chemistry process for synthesizing vitamin D-3, achieving efficient recycling of starting materials through a novel separation technique using acetonitrile. The study enhances material circularity metrics and demonstrates the potential for sustainable pharmaceutical production processes.
ACS SUSTAINABLE CHEMISTRY & ENGINEERING
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Michael Andresini, Sebastien Carret, Leonardo Degennaro, Fulvio Ciriaco, Jean-Francois Poisson, Renzo Luisi
Summary: This study reports a multistep continuous flow synthesis method for the preparation of poorly explored NH2-sulfinamidines by nucleophilic attack of organometallic reagents. The method allows for the synthesis of the target compounds under mild conditions via a highly chemoselective halogen-lithium exchange reaction, and the synthetic potential of the methodology was evaluated.
CHEMISTRY-A EUROPEAN JOURNAL
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Applied
Zhexuan Lei, Hwee Ting Ang, Jie Wu
Summary: Continuous flow synthesis is a widely used method for synthesizing fine chemicals, offering benefits such as process intensification and improved reproducibility. Multistep continuous flow synthesis simplifies the synthesis of complex molecules by telescoping multiple steps into a streamlined process. Challenges such as solid formation, solvent and reagent incompatibilities, and intermediate purification difficulties need to be overcome to further enhance the development of multistep continuous flow synthesis. This Perspective presents representative examples of complex molecule production enabled by Multistep continuous flow synthesis and showcases various in-line purification technologies utilized during the flow processes.
ORGANIC PROCESS RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Yiyi Liu, Tharaka Perera, Qianqian Shi, Zijun Yong, Sudaraka Mallawaarachchi, Bo Fan, Julia Ann-Therese Walker, Christopher J. Lupton, San H. Thang, Malin Premaratne, Wenlong Cheng
Summary: This study investigates the thermoresponsive chiral plasmonic responses of PNIPAM-modified gold nanorods. The modified nanorods exhibit red shifts and enhanced intensities of plasmonic circular dichroism (PCD) peaks at 50 degrees C, while the unmodified ones show no peak shifts and reduced intensities. The enhanced PCD is attributed to the collapse of PNIPAM chains, resulting in the expulsion of water molecules surrounding the chiral plasmonic nanorods and an increase in refractive index. These thermoresponsive chiral plasmonic responses are reversible, general, and applicable to other types of chiral plasmonic nanoparticles.
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Rob Legg, Charles Zhang, Michael Bourchier, Sarah Cole, Ivan Martinez-Botella, Xuan Nguyen, Yutong Zhu, Winston Liew, Simon Saubern, John Tsanaktsidis, Christian H. Hornung
Summary: Structured catalysts made by additive manufacturing can smoothly scale heterogeneous catalysis from lab to production, reducing the need for process reengineering. They can be customized to address flow maldistribution, hotspot, or pressure drop issues. This study investigates the long-term durability of 3D-printed Pd catalytic static mixers in the hydrogenation of 4-nitrobenzoic acid.
CHEMIE INGENIEUR TECHNIK
(2022)
Review
Engineering, Chemical
Xing Yang, Andrea Merenda, Riyadh AL-Attabi, Ludovic F. Dumee, Xiwang Zhang, San H. Thang, Hung Pham, Lingxue Kong
Summary: Membrane chromatography is considered a potential solution for downstream processing in protein purification. Despite limited commercial adoption in large-scale production, significant progress has been made. However, robust evaluation of its performance is still needed, and the disconnection between academic and commercial efforts should be addressed.
JOURNAL OF MEMBRANE SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Humanities, Multidisciplinary
Deborah Lau, Simon Saubern, David L. J. Alexander, Oliver Hutt, Carl Villis
Summary: This study investigates the performance and characteristics of MS3 resin, comparing it with the literature on MS2A and older reference samples. The results show that MS3 resin exhibits consistency with older MS2A samples, with improvements in reducing ketones, color, flow, and batch-to-batch consistency.
JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE FOR CONSERVATION
(2023)
Article
Materials Science, Biomaterials
Xudong Cai, Bo Fan, San H. Thang, Calum J. Drummond, Nhiem Tran, Jiali Zhai
Summary: Responsive nanoparticle delivery systems have potential for reducing off-target side effects in chemotherapeutic treatment. In this study, lipid-based cubosomes loaded with paclitaxel were formulated and stabilized by novel amphiphilic block copolymers containing pH-responsive and/or hydrogen peroxide-responsive blocks. The cubosomes demonstrated high encapsulation efficiency and controlled release of the drug in response to pH and H2O2 changes. In vitro cytotoxicity and cell uptake studies showed that the cubosomes had higher toxicity and cell internalization efficiency compared to free paclitaxel and cubosomes stabilized by non-responsive block copolymers. The results highlight the potential of responsive block copolymers in stabilizing lipid cubosomes and enhancing drug release and cellular uptake.
JOURNAL OF MATERIALS CHEMISTRY B
(2023)
Article
Polymer Science
Nicolas Goujon, Tiago Mendes, Kristine J. Barlow, Robert Kerr, Luke A. O'Dell, John Chiefari, Patrick C. Howlett, Maria Forsyth
Summary: In this study, the use of single-ion conducting block copolymer (SIC) as an additional lithium salt additive to a ternary solid polymer electrolyte (SPE) was described. The impact of SIC concentration on the phase behavior and transport properties of the SPEs was investigated, and the electrochemical performance and cycling performance of the SPEs were also assessed. The results demonstrate that PIL block copolymer-IL-salt composites are a promising choice of electrolyte for the next generation of solid-state high energy density lithium metal batteries.
JOURNAL OF APPLIED POLYMER SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Maria Forsyth, Faezeh Makhlooghiazad, Tiago Mendes, Nicolas Goujon, Nino Malic, Almar Postma, John Chiefari, Patrick C. Howlett
Summary: Triblock copolymers with an ionophilic polymerized ionic liquid block were investigated as solid polymer electrolytes. The copolymers provided mechanically robust, free-standing membranes with high lithium conductivity and optimized electrolyte composition. These electrolytes showed good performance in Li metal symmetric cycling and were also tested as binders in an LMO cathode formulation. However, the best cell performance was achieved with a different solid-state gel electrolyte.
ACS APPLIED ENERGY MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Polymer Science
Greg Rollo-Walker, Jacinta White, John Chiefari, Maria Forsyth, Nino Malic
Summary: This study reports a novel approach to synthesizing ionic quasi-block copolymers using a 'one-pot' RAFT polymerization technique. Three different quasi-block copolymers were successfully synthesized by changing the order of monomer addition and the level of monomer conversion. The results suggest that these new quasi-block copolymers behave similarly to block copolymers in terms of phase behavior, while also offering potential for increased sustainability in synthesis.
EUROPEAN POLYMER JOURNAL
(2023)
Article
Polymer Science
Gervase Ng, Zilong Wu, Tong Zhang, Anh Phong Dang, Yin Yao, Andrew R. J. Nelson, Stuart W. Prescott, Almar Postma, Graeme Moad, Craig J. Hawker, Cyrille Boyer
Summary: An oxygen-tolerant SI-PhotoRAFT technique has been developed for efficient synthesis of surface-tethered polymer brushes under low-energy near-infrared light. The technique takes advantage of the unique properties of NIR light to prepare polymeric coatings, even through barriers that are opaque to visible light. It enables precise modulation of brush height and sequential chain extension, as well as orthogonal control over polymerization and cross-linking processes using two different wavelengths.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Negin Amini, Bo Fan, Tina Hsia, Ellen M. Moon, Karen Hapgood, San H. Thang
Summary: This study investigated the synthesis of a novel polymer through RAFT polymerization for use as a surfactant in ultrafine minerals recovery. The novel emulsion demonstrated stability and high viscosity, and achieved comparable mineral recovery to traditional emulsions.
Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Nicholas Kai Shiang Teo, Bo Fan, Aditya Ardana, San H. Thang
Summary: Aggregation-induced emission (AIE) active polymers have a wide range of practical applications, and one of the important methods for the design and synthesis of AIE polymers is the use of reversible-deactivation radical polymerization (RDRP) techniques. This review highlights some recent works on the design and synthesis of AIE polymers using typical RDRP such as RAFT, ATRP, and NMP. Importantly, possible applications and future directions of these AIE active polymers are also provided.
Article
Materials Science, Biomaterials
Michelle D. Farrelly, Jiali Zhai, Alice Y. J. Tiong, Leonie van 't Hag, Heidi H. Yu, Jian Li, Lisandra L. Martin, San H. Thang
Summary: Synthentic polymer nanodiscs, formed by amphipathic copolymers, have been used as an analytical tool for solubilisation and structural study of membrane proteins in their natural lipid environment. In this study, a new class of amphipathic copolymer was tested for its ability to form nanodiscs, and the solubilisation efficiency, size, structure and shape of the nanodiscs were determined. The length of the hydrocarbon chain in the polymer significantly affected the solubilisation and the size of the nanodiscs. The selective interaction of the less hydrophobic polymers with bacterial membranes suggests potential applications in selective solubilisation, biosensing, and antimicrobial development.
BIOMATERIALS SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Polymer Science
Bo Fan, Jing Wan, Jiali Zhai, Nicholas Kai Shiang Teo, Andy Huynh, San H. Thang
Summary: In this study, photoluminescent polymer assemblies with a variety of morphologies were successfully prepared using the efficient RAFT-mediated polymerization-induced self-assembly (RAFT-PISA) process, which is expected to expand the utility of this technique in biomedical applications.
Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Jing Wan, Bo Fan, San H. Thang
Summary: Polymerization-induced self-assembly (PISA) is a promising method that combines polymerization and self-assembly, offering efficient production of nano/micro-particles with controlled size and morphology. The growing interest in PISA is reflected in the increasing number of publications worldwide. This review summarizes recent advances in RAFT-mediated PISA, including non-thermal initiation processes, high-order structures, hybrid materials, stimuli-responsive nano-objects, high throughput technologies for upscale production, applications, and future directions.
Article
Polymer Science
Wencheng Shi, Boyu Wu, Xiaofeng Guo, Anchao Feng, San H. Thang
Summary: Fluorescent end-functional mikto-arm star copolymers were synthesized using a novel method and the linear correlation between fluorescence intensity and polymer concentration was verified. This method enables the quantitative analysis of the arm components of star polymers, providing a new approach for the characterization of star polymers.
