A Scalable Solution to Constant-Potential Flow Electrochemistry

Abstract

The burgeoning interest in new electrochemical methods holds promise to provide a plethora of strategic disconnections for pharmaceutical compounds that are safer, less wasteful, and more streamlined than traditional chemical strategies. The use of organic electrochemistry in the commercial production of pharmaceuticals is exceedingly rare due to the lack of a modular infrastructure. Herein we describe the use of cascading continuous stirred tank reactors with individual cell potential control applied over reaction “stages” which demonstrate a balance between high selectivity and throughput necessary for electrochemistry to be a viable strategy in the pharmaceutical space. Using the high degree of control of cell potential afforded by this reactor design, a 1 kg demonstration was achieved in 9 h with high selectivity and yield (2.6 kg/day throughput).