The pharmaceutical industry has been moving towards using continuous processes because of their many advantages over batch systems. However, the research of continuous pharmaceutical systems is limited. This MQP studied the production of R-phenylethylacetate via the dynamic kinetic resolution (DKR) of (R,S)-1-phenylethanol. Kinetic resolution (KR), racemization, and DKR reactions were validated in batch and examined across a range of flow rates in packed bed reactors. The DKR system increased yield by 23% over the analogous KR system. This progress suggests that an industrially viable zeolite-driven DKR system could be developed with the use of a higher temperature, greater zeolite load, or an acyl donor with more steric bulk in the reactor.

• This report represents the work of one or more WPI undergraduate students submitted to the faculty as evidence of completion of a degree requirement. WPI routinely publishes these reports on its website without editorial or peer review.

Creator

• Roche, Patrick
• Young, Ciara

Publisher

• Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Identifier

• E-project-042722-230745
• 64811

Keyword

• Flow chemistry
• Packed bed reactor
• Pharmaceutical
• Enantiomers
• Zeolites
• Process intensification

Advisor

• Teixeira, Andrew R

Year

• 2022

Date created

• 2022-04-27

Resource type

• Major Qualifying Project

Major

• Chemical Engineering

Rights statement

• In Copyright