An automated polymer synthesis platform based on an inline low-field nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometer is developed. Flow chemistry and automated inline analyses are an excellent combination for automated kinetic screening and for self-optimizing reactions with programmable conversion targeting. By monitoring monomer conversion over a continuous range of reactor residence times, the platform is able to construct kinetic profiles of polymerizations in an accurate and efficient way. The machine-assisted self-optimization routine allows the reaction to be stopped at any given preselected conversion, giving rise to unprecedented reproducibility in polymer synthesis.

Kinetic screenings and optimization of chemical reactions are of utmost importance to develop an understanding of underlaying reaction mechanisms. From a more practical point of view, they are needed to obtain a final product under the most efficient and optimal conditions possible. Flow chemistry and reaction automation are an excellent combination to reach these aims. Exploiting features of both concepts generate a highly efficient screening method. Monitoring the reaction during the transient stabilization from flow rate A to flow rate B results in a continuous sweep through all intermediate residence times. Real‐time analysis of the timesweeps gives a full kinetic profile of the chemical transformation carried out in the flow reactor.

Digital transformation has affected almost any part of our lives. Chemistry, especially in research and development, has, compared to other science domains, only very recently begun to adopt principles of...

An online database created and curated by an IUPAC subcommittee is introduced. It is designed to act as central access point for finding reliable kinetic data on radical polymerizations. The...

Reducing CO2 emissions requires urgently deploying large-scale carbon capture technologies, amongst other strategies. The quest for optimum technologies is a multi-objective problem involving various stakeholders. Today's research of these technologies follows a sequential approach, with chemists focusing first on material design and engineers subsequently seeking the optimal process. Eventually, this combination of materials and processes operates at a scale that significantly impacts the economy and the environment. Understanding these impacts requires analyzing factors such as greenhouse gas emissions over the lifetime of the capture plant, which now constitutes one of the final steps. In this work, we present the PrISMa (Process-Informed design of tailor-made Sorbent Materials) platform, which seamlessly connects materials, process design, techno-economics, and life-cycle assessment. We compare over sixty case studies in which CO2 is captured from different sources in five world regions with different technologies. These studies illustrate how the platform simultaneously informs all stakeholders: identifying the cheapest technology and optimal process configuration, revealing the molecular characteristics of top-performing materials, determining the best locations, and informing on environmental impacts, co-benefits, and trade-offs. Our platform brings together all stakeholders at an early stage of research, which is essential to accelerate innovations at a time this is most needed.

Continuous flow chemistry offers an exceptionally high degree of operational flexibility to handle photochemical transformations. Photoiniferter polymerizations, such as photoinduced reversible addition fragmentation chain transfer (photoRAFT) are well documented, however,...