Recent Developments in Reactor Automation for Multistep Chemical Synthesis

Reactor automation is revolutionising the way new chemical processes are discovered and developed. Assigning repetitive aspects of synthesis to machines, such as experimental execution data collection, provides more time for researchers focus on critical interpretation creative problem solving. The ability autonomously prepare late-stage intermediates complex products, rather than just simple starting materials, will play a central role in applications efficient exploration space responsive manufacturing. However, translating automated technologies from specific single-step tasks general multistep syntheses remains significant challenge, owing high structural diversity chemical/physical interdependencies between steps. Robotic batch continuous flow platforms gradually becoming universal, providing access wider range chemistries required achieve autonomous synthesis. Advances process analytical have enhanced our monitor interconnected reactions real-time, thus accelerating collection giving greater control ensuring standard safety product quality. Integration these tools with software creates feedback loop, which can be harnessed adaptive flexible screening or holistic self-optimisation. This review presents recent developments application reactor synthesis, including platforms. Specifically, this highlights how integration advanced machine learning algorithms molecules.