Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to Robert C R Wootton.
A simple and robust derivatisation system for glass and silica microdevices is described. The device surface is coated in a one-step treatment with a highly cross-linked polystyrene/divinylbenzene/allylsiloxane copolymer. The surface derivatisation is highly resistant to solvents, acids, bases and oxidising or reducing agents.
An extremely rapid tool for continuous flow synthetic process optimisation is described. A microfluidic reaction system operating in continuous flow is used in conjunction with confocal Raman microscopy to afford rapid molecule synthesis and product quantitation. Accordingly, the approach allows for rapid reaction optimisation within a continuous flow system. Specifically, the catalytic oxidation of isopropyl alcohol (IPA) to acetone using tetra-N-propylammonium perruthanate (TPAP)/N-methylmorpholine N-oxide (NMO) in a radial interdigitated micromixer is studied as a model reaction system. The composition of the reaction effluent can be determined with great facility and information relating to catalyst/co-oxidant ratios, catalyst turnovers and reaction endpoints extracted. Specifically, variation of catalyst and co-oxidant volumetric flow rates between 0 and 50 microL min(-1) is used to vary reactant concentrations, define reaction residence times and control product conversions between 0 and 100%. The rapid nature of the system allows chemical information to be gathered and utilised on a sub-minute timescale.
Microfluidic devices for spatially localised heating of microchannel environments were designed, fabricated and tested. The devices are simple to implement, do not require complex manufacturing steps and enable intra-channel temperature control to within +/-0.2 degrees C. Ionic liquids held in co-running channels are Joule heated with an a.c. current. The nature of the devices means that the internal temperature can be directly assessed in a facile manner.
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Demands on modern combinatorial chemistry have necessitated massive investment in new synthetic technologies that will allow the production of highly pure drug candidates on short timescales. The advent of microfluidic reactor technologies has recently provided a new tool for the combinatorial chemist, offering the promise of ultra-high-throughput solution-phase chemistries. This review describes why such microscale systems provide unique environments for performing high-efficiency molecular synthesis, details some of the most important recent developments in the field and assesses the true applicability of micro-engineered reactors in high-throughput compound synthesis.