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University of Cambridge

High-Throughput Methods For Reaction Development Using The Mosquito® Liquid Handling Robot

Abstract

dc:description.abstract

High-throughput technologies have dramatically advanced processes such as drug screening and protein crystallisation. Application of related high-throughput experimentation practices have the potential to revolutionise chemical synthesis. This thesis describes the standardisation and implementation of high-throughput protocols in the Gaunt group using the Mosquito® liquid-handling robot. An automated high-throughput protocol was established for quantitative data generation. The Chan-Lam reaction of an amine and aryl boronates was used as an initial proof-of-concept reaction to standardise the high-throughput protocol. All parts of the protocol were optimised including the creation of an Excel spreadsheet and Mosquito® dosing protocols. Quantitative data was achieved using high-throughput LCMS analysis with internal standards and calibration curves. Data were tested by statistical methods integrated into the Excel Spreadsheet. Using the standardised high-throughput protocol, reaction conditions for the Chan-Lam were assessed using multi-parallel arrays. A total of 30 boronic esters were screened against eight bases, six copper catalysts and two ligands, totaling 5,888 reactions. All reaction components were parameterised using experimental and computational descriptors to generate a predictive model, in collaboration with computational chemists. To rapidly triage reaction conditions, high-throughput TLC was developed. Three transformations were investigated using this technique, reducing the total analysis time to less than 2 hours for 1536-reactions. This study demonstrates the potential of automated equipment in reaction optimisation and discovery.

Degree

thesis:*
Name dc:type.qualificationname
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Level dc:type.qualificationlevel
Doctoral
Grantor dc:publisher.institution
University of Cambridge
Year dc:date.issued
2019

Author and committee

dc:creator, dc:contributor.*
Author dc:creator
  • Battersby, David James
Advisor dc:contributor.advisor
  • Gaunt, Matthew

Subjects

dc:subject × 3

Rights

dc:rights
Language dc:language
en

Identifiers

dc:identifier.*
DOI dc:identifier.doi
https://doi.org/10.17863/CAM.41086
OAI identifier oai:identifier
oai:www.repository.cam.ac.uk:1810/293977

Chain of custody

source
Harvested from
Cambridge University
Base URL
api.repository.cam.ac.uk/server/oai/request
Last updated
2026-07-22
Source record
OAI-PMH GetRecord
citation

Battersby, David James. High-Throughput Methods For Reaction Development Using The Mosquito® Liquid Handling Robot. Doctoral thesis, University of Cambridge, 2019. https://doi.org/10.17863/CAM.41086