Researchers have developed a home-made 3D printed interconnect reactor

Recently, researchers at the University of Glasgow, Scotland, devised a method for 3D printing of interconnected reaction vessels that can perform individual chemical reactions, and 3D-printed reactors for home-printed pharmaceuticals and chemicals.

Imagine being able to make drugs yourself at home in the future by an average person just as they can download MP3s and play them from their smartphones.This future may be closer than we thought because researchers have found a way to make 3D printing materials Chemical reaction equipment can be used to make medicines, chemicals and other products.

Led by Leroy Cronin, a professor of chemical degrees at the University of Glasgow chemical school, Cronin's research team has modified the Ultimaker 3D printer to synthesize drugs and other chemicals from widely used starting compounds. The 3D printer enables people Make all kinds of useful things at home, in the office, or elsewhere.

According to Cronin and colleagues, the team was able to 3D print a series of interconnected reaction vessels, performing four different chemical reactions involving 12 separate steps covering all the different solutions from filtration to evaporation .

In their experiments, they found that they could make muscle relaxants called baclofen from widely used starting compounds, including methyl 4-chlorocinnamate, however, by working with muscle fibers at different times, in a different order Using different reagents and solvents, they can make a variety of useful drugs and chemicals.Other successful reactions in the study include anticonvulsants and anti-ulcer and acid reflux drugs.

For the baclofen synthesis, the team used five 3D-printed cylindrical modules, each with a capacity of 32 ml and an opening at the top for material input.The second opening in each module allowed the chemist to apply pressure, Forcing the substance through more openings on the underside of the module The 3D printed container also contains a port for introducing nitrogen that can provide for reaction with an inert atmosphere.

In summary, this custom 3D printing reactor device is capable of three reactions, two liquid-liquid extractions and a set of evaporation and filtration to generate muscle relaxants.

Chemist Cronin said: '3D printing is essential to this process because it allows the user to get absolute precision, a method that will allow for the production of supplies of scarce chemicals and drugs on demand and tailor them to the needs. The process may encourage the production of more modest drugs, pioneering research compounds and drugs in remote areas. '

Another potential advantage of this 3D printing reactor is improved organic chemist welfare.Generally, chemists need to supervise the synthesis, but there is a certain danger.Cronin said: 'The whole system of 3D printing will' let organic chemists focus In creating new molecules 'while keeping them far from chemical dangers.'

Of course, the potential downside of 'printing at home' is not negligible: Cronin knows that such a 3D printing system could be abused, allowing rogue chemists to modulate illegal or dangerous drugs, but Glasgow professors still believe the process The positive factors outweigh the negative ones.

Cronin believes that a regulated reactor market can help eliminate counterfeit drugs, which is a serious problem in which criminals replace active pharmaceutical ingredients in prescription drugs with inert or even dangerous compounds. In some developing countries , 30% of all distributed drugs are counterfeit drugs, and 3D printed reaction software can help solve this problem by ensuring that only one drug is produced per reaction device.

However, there is concern that 3D-printed reaction software may create potentially harmful compounds.Cronin's solution is to design a verification kit that looks a bit like a home pregnancy test that can be used to test the contents of a compound after its creation A visual reading.

It is reported that the results of this study has recently been published in the journal Science, other authors include Philip J. Kitson, Guillaume Marie, Jean-Patrick Francoia, Sergey S. Zalesskiy, Ralph C. Sigerson and Jennifer S. Mathieson.

Article Source: 3D Tiger

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