Date: 27 March 2025 | Category: News
The National Deuteration Facility (NDF) at the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO) has recently enhanced its research capabilities with the installation of a Vapourtec R-Series flow chemistry system. This addition marks a significant step forward in the production of deuterated molecules, supporting a wide range of scientific applications.
The NDF specialises in synthesising a variety of deuterated molecules using chemical techniques, with the primary method hydrothermal deuteration and heavy water (D₂O) as the deuterium source. This process typically requires metal catalysts such as palladium or platinum at raised temperatures.
Traditionally, the high temperature deuteration reactions (>140 °C) are conducted in high-pressure batch reactors, but many functional groups are unstable under such conditions. Batch deuteration is labour-intensive and limited in scale, making flow chemistry an appealing alternative for larger-scale synthesis. Flow chemistry has the potential to improve selectivity and minimise decomposition by controlling reaction time and temperature more precisely. Additionally, it is hoped flow chemistry will offer more efficient workflows for these reactions, particularly in deuterium labelling for analytical and medicinal applications.
Dr Jim Mensah is the Lead Organic Synthetic Chemist at ANSTO’s National Deuteration Facility, specialising in developing novel protocols for the production and purification of deuterated chemicals.
Dr. Mensah commented: “With this new technology, we can scale up deuterium labelling, fine-tune reaction control, and explore novel ways to support analytical applications, materials science, and pharmaceutical applications”.
The Vapourtec system provides a highly controlled and efficient approach to deuteration, allowing precise reaction conditions that improve both yield and reproducibility.