Greifensee, Zurich -- (SBWIRE) -- 12/26/2011 -- The METTLER TOLEDO FlowIR flow chemistry monitoring system is providing valuable particle characterization knowledge for synthesis projects performed by the Ley Group at the Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge. FlowIR is a dedicated Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) instrument for real-time continuous flow chemistry monitoring. Fast, real-time information on reaction progress has allowed quicker process optimization, which has meant fewer experiments and the time savings that result-critical in the highly-competitive academic landscape.

Using FlowIR's intuitive software and benefitting from the instrument's quick calibration curve, the team has gained valuable quantitative information about reactions such as conversation rates and concentrations. And, because the machine does not require an expert operator, students quickly become an integral part of experiments with little chance that results will be negatively impacted. Essentially plug-and-play, FlowIR also has a very small footprint which the university team has been able to easily integrate into multiple flow set-ups.

FlowIR has allowed the Ley Group to solve a universal and long-standing problem with multi-step flow synthesis by controlling different reagent streams using the live read-out facility. This ability to control various streams has been particularly useful in aiding work-up and purification optimization in flow-for example, by identifying the chromatographic effects of resins.

The team has also benefitted from FlowIR's robust sensors, which are suitable for a wide range of chemicals including asides, organometallics and boronic acids. This has offered the researchers a great deal of flexibility when planning experiments and allowed them to mount experiments they may not have undertaken previously.

For more information on FlowIR, please visit: http://www.mt.com/flowir