Advanced organic synthesis

Novasep has the capabilities and experience for multi-step synthesis and purification from hundreds of grams to thousands of tons. We have a know-how for conducting certain demanding reactions used in organic synthesis that yield pure organic compounds in a cost-effective and time efficient manner:

• Cryogenic reactions
• Friedel-Crafts reactions
• Micro-reaction technology
• Transition metal-catalyzed reactions
• Hydrogenation reactions
• Halogenation reactions
• Heterocyclic chemistry
• Mitsunobu reactions
• Biocatalyzed and chemoenzymatic reactions
• And more organic synthesis reactions

Found you target reactions? Learn more about our CMO services for pharmaceutical API, HPAPI, agrochemicals and fine chemicals manufacturing

Cryogenic reactions

We pioneered low temperature reactions at industrial scale for more than 30 years and are equipped for -80 °C reactions at industrial scale.

Ideal to improve selectivity or to use highly reactive compounds such has organolithium reagents, we have can perform cryogenic reactions at pilot-scale (up to 700L) and at industrial-scale (up to 6,000L). We also developed a unique set of two large-scale reactors (3,000 L and 4,000 L) in series for coupling two low temperature reactions.

• This expertise enables us to easily perform and scale up the following reactions:
• Halogen-metal exchange (e.g. Li)
• Li, Na metal reduction
• Selective deprotonation and subsequent stereoselective / regioselective/ chemoselective reactions
• Stereoselective / regioselective/ chemoselective reductions (e.g. ketones, imines, esters)
• Asymmetric reactions (e.g. Michael addition)
• Selective Friedel-Crafts acylation (e.g. with oxalylchloride)

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Friedel-Crafts reactions

We have the cGMP capacity for Friedel-Crafts acylation, alkylation and hydroalkylation with a 6,000 L reactor and more than 30 tons of AlCl3 storage.

We reduce the environmental impact of Friedel-Crafts reactions by supplying the aluminum hydroxide by-product that we generate to water treatment companies.

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Micro-reaction technology

We are highly active in developing reactions based on micro-reactor technology, especially for energetic or safety critical reactions such as glycerine nitration.

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Transition metal-catalyzed reactions

We master catalyzed C-C and C-N cross coupling reactions such as Suzuki, Heck, Sonogashira, and Buchwald reactions from pilot to industrial scale.

Our ability to prepare aryl and vinyl triflates, chlorides and bromides as well as boronic acid derivatives in-house, gives us access to a wide selection of substrates at low cost for transition metal-catalyzed cross coupling reactions.

In addition, our ability to handle carbon monoxide from gram to hundreds of kilogram scale gives us access to a Pd-catalyzed carbonylation reactions.

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Hydrogenation reactions

We are equipped with large-scale hydrogenation capabilities that can be used in both asymmetric and standard version, combined with H-cube screening technology in order to quickly identify the best hydrogenation conditions.

Our production capabilities include 2 x 1,500 L; 3,000 L; 2 x 6,000 L and 8,000 L reactors for hydrogenation reactions at up to 20 bar.

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Halogenation reactions

We are equipped with extensive capabilities for bromination and chlorination reactions. We can use up to 10 MT of bromine in our 6,000 L and 4,000 L dedicated reaction vessel.

We are also experts in using Cl2, PCl5, POCl3 and SOCl2 to produce tons of chlorinated compounds in our 4,000 L vessel dedicated to chlorination reactions.

Thanks to these large-scale capabilities, we manufacture various organic halides that can be used as starting material for the other key reactions we master, such as organometallic chemistry, transition metal-catalysed reactions, etc.

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Organometallic chemistry

We have extensive experience in producing and using several organometallic compounds from kilogram to multi-ton scale.

Our ability to handle diborane from kilogram to multi-ton scale gives us access to several organoboranes (including chiral organoboranes), that can be used in many reactions. More information on organoborane chemistry.

Thanks to our know-how and capabilities in cryogenic reactions, we are able to manufacture large amounts of organolithium reagents.

Our expertise also includes the manufacture of organomagnesium, organotitanium and organosilicon compounds.

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Heterocyclic chemistry

Thanks to our know-how and capabilities in hydrazine, azide, diazomethane and carbon disulfide chemistry, we are able to manufacture, at very large scale, a broad range of nitrogen- and sulfur-containing heterocycles such as pyrazoles, triazoles, thiadiazoles, pyridazines, tetrazoles, aziridines, etc.

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Mitsunobu reactions

Mitsunobu reactions are very useful synthetic routes for transforming primary and secondary alcohols into a variety of functional groups with an inversion of configuration. At Novasep, we are able to perform Mitsunobu reactions at a very low cost, thanks to our mastery of hydrazine chemistry to produce azodicarboxylic acid derivatives in house in ton quantities.

The most common Mitsunobu reagents are Diethylazocarboxylate (DEAD) and Diisopropylazodicarboxylate (DIAD), but several other azodicarboxylic acid derivatives have been developed as alternatives to DEAD and DIAD and are also produced by Novasep such as DBAD, ADDP, TMAP and TIPA.

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Chemoenzymatic reactions

We have developed in-depth knowledge about biocatalysis and this technique is fully integrated into our chiral toolbox and advanced organic synthesis offering for large-scale regioselective and stereoselective reactions.

We have the experience and capabilities to perform most chemoenzymatic processes from pilot to commercial scale including:

• Enzymatic resolution
• Enzymatic asymmetric synthesis
• Aldol reaction, bio-oxidation, transamination and transesterification

We have recently invested in a new pilot/industrial suite dedicated to enzymatic reactions that includes a 4000 L reactor for the biocatalysis itself, two additional 4000 L work-up reactors, followed by membrane filtration and chromatography units

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More organic synthesis reactions

Going further, we are able to perform many other organic synthesis reactions up to large-scale. These reactions include:

Please contact us for any request!

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