Organic synthesis in a modular robotic system driven by a chemical programming language
Year: 2018
Type: article
Abstract: The synthesis of complex organic compounds is largely a manual process that is often incompletely documented. To address these shortcomings, we developed an abstraction that maps commonly reported methodological instructions into discrete steps amenable to automation. These unit operations were implemented in a modular robotic platform by using a chemical programming language that formalizes and controls the assembly of the molecules. We validated the concept by directing the automated system to synthesize three pharmaceutical compounds, diphenhydramine hydrochloride, rufinamide, and sildenafil, without any human intervention. Yields and purities of products and intermediates were comparable to or better than those achieved manually. The syntheses are captured as digital code that can be published, versioned, and transferred flexibly between platforms with no modification, thereby greatly enhancing reproducibility and reliable access to complex molecules.
Source: Science
Institution: University of Glasgow
Language: English
Subfield: Biomedical Engineering
Field: Engineering
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: green
Awards: G1449252721, 3DSynth: Design and fabrication of cartridges for digital chemical synthesis, G1696371728, Complex Chemical Systems Platform Exploring Inorganic Intelligence, G3445563623, G5486013847, Molecular-Metal-Oxide-nanoelectronicS (M-MOS): Achieving the Molecular Limit, G6188963204, Chemobots: Digital-Chemical-Robotics to Convert Code to Molecules and Complex Systems, A Digital DNA Nano Writer (DNA NanoFab), G6922836983, G692544956, Programmable Molecular Metal Oxides (PMMOs): From Fundamentals to Application, G7922847960, Programmable 'Digital' Synthesis for Discovery & Scale-up of Molecules, Clusters & Nanomaterials, G8052591024, The Multicorder, G8549965245
OpenAlex ID: W2902762889