Continuous Photochemistry for Chemical Manufacture

This project is aimed at transforming the way in which industry applies photochemistry to the manufacture of chemicals, as photochemistry can offer alternative, greener routes to certain molecules. It is a collaboration between the University and GSK, aligning with both parties' desire for more sustainable chemistry. Novel photoreactors will be explored in the context of useful synthetic organic chemistry, with reactions of common organic building blocks within the pharmaceutical industry such as photo-oxidation, photo-halogenation and cross-coupling. Such research is at the cutting-edge of the chemistry/engineering interface and should allow for smarter, flexible manufacturing of future photo-reactors. The main objective will be to establish the strengths and limitations of our photochemical approach such that industry may more fully appreciate the scope of light-driven chemistry, and how such reactors might be deployed in their companies.