Combination of a Customized Robotic System with a TLC Scanner for High-Throughput Reaction Screening

Abstract

Combination of a new and highly efficient robotic system for high-throughput reaction screening with a thin-layer chromatography (TLC) scanner is described. The system consists of a parallel synthesis robot capable of performing up to several hundred reactions in parallel and a second robot for analytical sample workup, dilution, and TLC-spotting. The automatically prepared TLC plates are analyzed with a modern TLC scanner which gives rapidly semi-quantitative analytical results on the outcome of the single reactions. Several automated chemistry examples clearly demonstrate the high efficiency of this combined system and its superiority compared to more classical approaches, e.g., HPLC analyses.

Emerging Technologies Supporting Chemical Process R&D and Their Increasing Impact on Productivity in the Pharmaceutical Industry

“…Improvements in the speed and depth of process knowledge acquisition will continue to be highly dependent on advances in analytical technology. For the purpose of evaluating the output of high-throughout screening studies, a number of techniques have been employed including IR thermography, , capillary electrophoresis, thin-layer chromatography, , mass spectroscopy, fluorescence, and even enzyme immunoassay . These and other methods are increasingly being developed to enable high-throughput screening studies for the qualitative or semiquantitative identification of catalysts and specific reaction possibilities.…”

Time as a Dimension in High‐Throughput Homogeneous Catalysis

“…Parallel TLC with a multi-tipped needle assembly is attractive for its simplicity, thoughput, and qualitative description of selectivity and the evolution of reaction, including induction periods. [14,15] More specialized, but of much interest for both sensitivity and quantitative insight, are the gas-phase, electrospray mass spectrometry screening methods pioneered by Chen. [16][17][18] Quantitative analysis typically relies on conventional gas or highperformance liquid chromatography (GC, HPLC) to assay reaction progress and product speciation.…”

High-throughput automated platform for thin layer chromatography analysis

“…The idea to use robots to assist with TLC has been around since at least 1991 2 , 3 and evolved into the advanced high-performance thin layer chromatography (HPTLC). As a highly integrated machine, HPTLC has higher comprehensive efficiency.…”