Synthesis of quaternary ammonium salts using batch and continuous technologies

07/26/2017

This project is concerned with the synthesis of novel highly functionalised quaternary ammonium salts from renewable resources. Our approach consisted of (1) evaluating the reaction parameters that can affect the production yield changing one factor at a time stablishing a basic understanding of the reaction in batch and in continuous mode. (2) Developing an analytical method for high performance liquid chromatography analysis and defining an appropriate work-up of the crude. (3) Developing and evaluating a mechanistic (kinetics) and an empirical (design of experiments) model to predict the formation of the product and the most relevant reaction constituents in terms of process performance, this way stablishing a deeper understanding of the reaction in batch and in continuous mode. (4) Defining a design space based on the model output, (5) verifying the design space through experimental testing and (6) comparing the two types of model (mechanistical and empirical) that was made. A process was developed for this new plan of synthesis in batch, and a process in continuous, defining and appropriate set-up of the system and comparing the advantages and disadvantages of both. The quaternary ammonium salts synthesized has application in pharmaceutical industrial as an intermediate to produce acetylcholinesterase inhibitors and with this work it is proposed a plan of synthesis to produce an active pharmaceutical ingredient from those salts.

Authors in the community:

• 

  M

  Marina Ciriani Rodrigues

  ist426177

Supervisors of this institution:

• 

  J

  José Monteiro Cardoso de Menezes

  ist12460

industrial-biotechnology - Industrial Biotechnology

eng - English

Instituto Superior Técnico