Process Intensive Synthesis of Propofol Enabled by Continuous Flow Chemistry
Laurent Vinet, Lorenzo Di Marco, Vanessa Kairouz, André B. Charette
Abstract
A multi-step process using continuous flow chemistry to produce propofol is described. A scale-up of a 5-stage process (two continuous flow chemical steps, two extractions using a semi-batch approach, and one purification) provided propofol in high purity. This process minimizes the number of impurities formed during the double Friedel–Crafts reaction allowing to run two continuous flow chemical steps sequentially. The use of simple, inexpensive, and readily available reagents affords a viable process for this widely employed active pharmaceutical ingredient.
Topics & Concepts
Continuous flowFlow chemistryActive ingredientProcess engineeringProcess (computing)ReagentChemistryCombinatorial chemistryBatch processingComputer scienceOrganic chemistryBiochemical engineeringEngineeringBioinformaticsOperating systemBiologyProgramming languageInnovative Microfluidic and Catalytic Techniques InnovationMicrofluidic and Capillary Electrophoresis ApplicationsAnalytical Chemistry and Chromatography