Multi-temperature modular reactor and method of using same
First Claim
1. A modular reactor for analyzing chemical reactions in an array of materials, comprisingat least two reactor modules, each of said reactor modules having at least one reactor vessel for receiving materials to be analyzed therein, a temperature control device associated with at least one of said reactor modules, wherein said temperature control device varies the temperature of said at least one reactor module such that said at least one reactor module has a different temperature than the other of said at least two reactor modules, and an analytical system comprising one or more sensors for in-situ evaluation of viscosity of the materials in each of the reactor vessels.
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Abstract
An apparatus and method for carrying out and monitoring the progress and properties of multiple reactions is disclosed. The method and apparatus are especially useful for synthesizing, screening, and characterizing combinatorial libraries, but also offer significant advantages over conventional experimental reactors as well. The apparatus generally includes multiple vessels for containing reaction mixtures, and systems for controlling the stirring rate and temperature of individual reaction mixtures or groups of reaction mixtures. In addition, the apparatus may include provisions for independently controlling pressure in each vessel. In situ monitoring of individual reaction mixtures provides feedback for process controllers, and also provides data for determining reaction rates, product yields, and various properties of the reaction products, including viscosity and molecular weight.
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Citations
72 Claims
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1. A modular reactor for analyzing chemical reactions in an array of materials, comprising
at least two reactor modules, each of said reactor modules having at least one reactor vessel for receiving materials to be analyzed therein, a temperature control device associated with at least one of said reactor modules, wherein said temperature control device varies the temperature of said at least one reactor module such that said at least one reactor module has a different temperature than the other of said at least two reactor modules, and an analytical system comprising one or more sensors for in-situ evaluation of viscosity of the materials in each of the reactor vessels.
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45. A method for analyzing, synthesizing or characterizing an array of materials comprising the steps of
providing a modular reactor comprising at least two reactor modules, each of the reactor modules having at least one reactor vessel, placing material in said reactor vessels, independently controlling the temperature of the at least two reactor modules to different predetermined temperatures, and evaluating the viscosity of the materials in situ in each of the reactor vessels.
Specification