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Technologies
Chiral Technology
Chirality
Pharmaceutical, Agrochemical and Flavours and Essences formulators have long recognised the importance of choosing the correct chirality in starting molecules to ensure the corresponding correct chirality in their active ingredients when seeking particular properties and effects. Peppermint and spearmint for example are chemically the same, but one molecule is a chiral variation of the other. Chiral literally means ‘handedness’ which illustrates well the concept of two identical molecules which are mirror images of each other.The prefixes ‘S’ and ‘R’ stand for the Latin sinister for left and rectus for right to denote whether the configuration in the chiral centre of a molecule is left or right handed. In addition the molecule can have optical activity which is illustrated by the ability of a sample to rotate plane-polarised light. When viewed in the direction facing the oncoming light beam, enantiomers causing rotation in a clockwise direction under specified conditions is called dextrorotatory and is prefixed by (+)- and conversely anti-clockwise, laevorotatory and prefixed (-)-.
Immobilised Enzymes
Enzymes are protein molecules which serve to accelerate the chemical reactions of living cells, often by several orders of magnitude. Without enzymes, most biochemical reactions would be too slow to carry out life processes at all. Enzymes display great specificity and are not permanently modified by their participation in reactions and therefore, it is cost-effective to use them more than once. However, if they are in solution with the reactants and products, it can be difficult to separate them. Therefore, if they can be fixed into a solid phase in some way, they can be used again after the products are removed . The term immobilised means unable to move or stationary, and that is exactly what an immobilised enzyme is; an enzyme which is physically attached to a solid support over which a reactant is passed and converted to a product.
Benefits of Immobilising an Enzyme
- Multiple or repetitive use of a single batch of enzymes
- The ability to stop the reaction rapidly by removing the enzyme from the reaction solution (or vice versa)
- Enzymes are usually stabilised by bonding
- Product is not contaminated with the enzyme
- Analytical purposes – long half-life, predictable decay rates and elimination of reagent preparation.
Most Comprehensive Bulk Hydrolase Enzyme Carrier Kit
The kit is designed to stimulate process development for chiral API and chiral intermediate production by making the best lipases, proteases and phospholipases from 7 large enzyme manufacturers available in one convenient package. Capitalising on their advanced immobilization technology, the enzymes are free of interfering additives that may inhibit rapid analysis of the reaction mixtures. Also the immobilized formulation can be used under a much wider range of conditions leading to more positive screening results than would be obtained using non-immobilized enzymes.
The kit contains 47 immobilized enzymes in total: 24 lipases, 20 proteases and 3 phospholipases.
Full technical support is supplied which is particularly appreciated by first time users.
Please see Products page for further details.
Special enzymes for asymmetric synthesis
The enzymes are from various classes:
Hydrolases: synthesis of chiral amines, esters, alcohols, amides, carboxylic acids (lipases, esterases, proteases and amidases)
Ene reductase: asymmetric double bond reduction
Ketoreductase: asymmetric ketone reduction into chiral alcohols
Nitrile hydratases: synthesis of chiral amides from nitriles
Nitrilase: synthesis of chiral carboxylic acids from nitriles
Oxynitrilase: asymmetric synthesis of chiral cyanohydrins
ω-Transaminase: synthesis of chiral amines from ketones, ketoacids
Kits of all special enzymes are available for screening and optimization purposes and gram scale quantities for further research. Delivery of kilogram and larger quantities is afforded in months.
Please see Products page for further details.
Optically pure β-amino acids
Our Principal is specialised in enzymatic resolution. By using up to 100 different hydrolytic (bulk) enzymes in combination with clever substrate derivatisation a very high success rate is achieved. No expensive designer enzyme is needed to get an enantiomeric excess of over 99%. In many cases racemisation of the unwanted isomer is possible. Subsequent recycling leads to a process with high yields.
Field of application
Almost any chiral compound is accessible via enzymatic resolution. It is particularly applicable for chiral alcohols and diols , amines, amides, a-amino acids (also with multiple chiral centers), b-amino acids, amino alcohols, acids, esters.
By applying the described technique 8 new β-amino acids and 24 derivatives are now added to the catalog, all in >99% enantiomeric excess.
Please see Products page for further details.
Advanced Silane Technology for Coatings and Resins
Silane Alkoxy Oligomers for high performance surface coatings– they have a low molecular weight and incorporate various organic substituents and hydrolysable alkoxy groups in the same molecule. They can be used as film formers in their own right , resin modifiers or reactive diluents and due to an absence of silanol groups have long storage stability. They can be used to formulate coatings with resistance to weathering, heat, dirt pick up and chemicals with exceptional hardness and adhesion to for metal, concrete, stone, wood and plastic surfaces.
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Silanes with new functionalities – Acrylic , Bis-Amino, Isocyanate, Isocyanurate, Ketime, Succinate, all with unique new properties for innovative formulators of coatings and resins .
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Silanes for Anti-Corrosion – ways of formulating chrome free metal pretreatments and primers.
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