Introduction 6th Flash Conference

EXTREME CHEMICAL EFFICIENCY - DRIVING TO THE LIMITS
28 February - 4 March 2010 - France – Roscoff

Chairmen:
Reko Leino (SAB, Finland)
Jean-Claude Charpentier (LSGC/CNRS, France)

Goal:  To bring together experienced and young researchers to discuss frontier chemical research on utmost selective, compact, flexible, and non pollutant and energy efficient chemical reactions and reaction technologies.

Chemical manufacturing systems involve the implementation of synthesis schemes to transform one composition of matter to another on scales from micrograms to billions of tons each year. Such materials and processes, designed by chemists and chemical engineers, enable modern life. They involve an integrated system approach of complex multidisciplinary, non-linear, non-equilibrium processes and phenomena occurring on different length and time scales of the supply chain, that is a good understanding of how chemical, biochemical and physical phenomena at a smaller length-scale relates to properties and behaviour at a longer length-scale (from the molecular scale to the production macro-and mega scales).

The way biologically, pharmaceutically and functionally relevant molecules and materials are produced has pervasive effects on the cost of biomedical research, healthcare and development of new technologies. In spite of impressive progress achieved in the past several decades, the state of the art of chemical synthesis and manufacturing remain at an early stage of development. Several grand challenges remain to be solved by synthetic chemists and chemical engineers. There is great need for new reactions, reaction sequences and synthetic methods to permit any substance or material, of any complexity to be synthesized with highest possible efficiency, in the smallest number of steps, and with minimal cogeneration of any waste products. New reactions, methods and manufacturing processes must be designed in a safe, compact, flexible and energy efficient manner. Of great importance here is the implementation of environmentally benign catalytic processes for meeting the human needs with the production of crucial chemicals by methods that are harmless to the earth and its inhabitants.

In order to maximize efficiency, minimize waste and increase profitability, the close early-design-state combination of green chemistry and green engineering stands out as the major means for overall synthetic design, feedstock and reagent selection and pollution prevention. Here, the acceleration of chemical reactions with substoichiometric quantities of highly chemo-, regio- and stereoselective catalysts will play a central role. Currently, a paradigm shift is taking place in chemical synthesis technology with unprecedented opportunities for combining and incorporating such catalytic systems into various one-pot sequences, tandem and cascade-type reactions, and process intensification either in using operation hybridation, or new operating modes of production, or in using microengineering and microtechnology, i.e. microstructured reactors. Such processes will in the future permit more efficient production of industrial and biomedical products.

This conference will bring together chemists and chemical engineers to discuss and further develop the current state in driving chemical manufacturing methods towards extreme chemical efficiencies in terms of reactivity, selectivity, reaction and reactor design, energy and waste management.

Possible topics: Reaction design, stereoselective homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysis, cascade reactions, combined bio/metal catalysts, process intensification

Download the flyer of the conference here.

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