Contaminate Removal for Laboratory Pharmaceutical Synthesis

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Compact Membrane Systems, Inc. is proposing a revision to grant 1 R43 GM084478-01A1 entitled Contaminate Removal for Laboratory Pharmaceutical Synthesis in response to notice NOT-OD-09-058, NIH Announces the Availability of Recovery Act Funds for Competitive Revision Applications In this revision application, we are proposing to remove contaminants such as un-reacted reactants, spent catalysts and by-products from spent organic solvents by the membrane separation technique of nanofiltration. This is a two dimensional change in the scope of the original program: 1) the mode of operation of the membrane is different from the original program 2) scope of separations is well beyond removing water and oxygen contaminants from solvents. The original program was focused on developing small and low cost membrane based system for removal of oxygen and water contaminants from organic synthesis solvents. Most organic pharmaceutical chemical syntheses are done in organic solvents. Oxygen and/or water contaminants in organic solvents will destroy many organic reactants and organometallic reagents and catalysts. As such, the removal of oxygen and water are critical to successful organic synthesis. Unfortunately both oxygen and water are ubiquitous and significant effort must be introduced to both remove oxygen and water and continue to keep them out of the system. This revision is also responsive to NIH RFP PA-09-100 entitled Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy System Technology Research and Development . By using a pressure-driven nanofiltration versus a thermal- driven separation such as distillation for recovery of pharmaceutical spent solvents, we also are directly responsive to this NIH's RFP for energy efficient processes. Additional resources will be added to the program including necessary equipment to carry out the effort as well as new hires including both experienced and new college graduates. Compact Membrane Systems has numerous industrial and university partners which have shown a strong interest in this technology. These partners will be helpful in the Phase I program and subsequent Phase II activity and commercialization. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: This project will develop a membrane product and process to not only remove dissolved oxygen and water from reaction solvents and reactants but also be expanded to include un-reacted chemicals, spent catalysts and by-products from spent organic solvents. The membrane system is in principle universal and very low cost. This development will represent an application of CMS membrane technology that has considerable significance to production costs related to pharmaceutical manufacturing.