Exemplify has recently acquired a Mettler-Toledo EasyMax 402 automated reactor system to add to its process development capabilities. This instrument can accommodate reactor sizes of 100 and 400 mL and allows for the precise automated control of reaction parameters such as temperature, stirring speed, reagent addition rate, and pH, providing real-time data collection that can greatly enhance our understanding of a reaction’s unique profile.
Furthermore, the EasyMax system’s cylindrical reactor shape, overhead stirring, and thermostat system model the reactor geometry and temperature control encountered at large scales more accurately than traditional lab glassware setups. This allows for a thorough assessment of the safety and scalability of processes developed at small scale at an intermediate stage before transitioning to larger scale in our kilo lab. As such, the EasyMax will act as a critical link in the chain of development from early stage route scouting and small-scale process development through to kilo-scale manufacturing.
“The EasyMax platform will allow us to control reaction parameters with precision that we simply would not be able to achieve by hand with more traditional reactor setups,” says Sean McCarthy, Associate Director of Process Chemistry at Exemplify. “The data-rich experimentation it enables will also provide us with useful information about reaction parameters that will inform the design of procedures for scale up and warn us about any potential safety issues related to exothermic reaction behavior.”
Mettler-Toledo offers a range of add-ons that can further enhance the utility of the EasyMax system, including probes for the real-time monitoring of reaction progress by in situ IR or Raman spectroscopy; automated sampling systems for offline reaction monitoring by traditional analytical techniques, such as HPLC or GC; or probes for monitoring particle size and morphology for crystallization applications. McCarthy adds, “This is an instrument that will not only enhance our process development capabilities in the short term but can grow with the company as we continue to expand our offerings to our clients.”
