Meeting reinforces catalysis role in R&D
Fine Chemicals Group: Process Development Symposium Cambridge University, UK, December 2005
 The Process Development Symposium is a regular and popular addition to the Fine Chemicals Group meetings calendar and, with nearly 200 attendees, the meeting held at Churchill College, Cambridge, in December reinforced these impressions. In keeping with the aims of the organisers, the symposium is now well advanced towards being a truly international event with about 140 attendees from the UK, 10 from the US, and with most European and Scandinavian countries also represented.
The science in the presentations also covered a wide area, with talks varying from ‘academic’ to highly ‘applied’ topics. In addition to several fascinating and well received case studies from pharmaceutical industry speakers, the theme of catalysis occurred throughout the programme, demonstrating its fundamental importance to the practice of modern chemical process research and development. We were treated to a fine presentation from Pher Andersson covering the mechanistic understanding of ruthenium- and iridium-based asymmetric hydrogenation processes.
A feature this year was the first presentation of the UK Prize for Process Chemistry Research, sponsored by AstraZeneca, Pfizer and GlaxoSmithKline, which was awarded to Jonathan Williams of Bath University for his extensive contributions to catalysis research. His supporting lecture, ‘Borrowing hydrogen, a strategy for catalysis’, showed how specific complex sequences comprising oxidation, further reaction and reduction can be efficiently carried out in one reaction mix, again featuring ruthenium and iridium as key metal catalysts.
The more applied topics included interesting talks on purification technologies: from the Brunel Institute for Bioengineering, covering a practical realisation of counter-current chromatography and, from Johnson-Matthey, ‘Cleaning up after catalysis – metal recovery using Smopex fibres’. Manufacturing considerations were also represented this year with a fascinating and pragmatic approach to new technologies presented by Kevin Nepveux of Pfizer US.
Finally, the social element of the meeting was as lively as ever and we were very pleased to welcome 15 PhD students to the meeting, courtesy of industry bursaries. With attendees taking the opportunity to network with colleagues from their own and other organisations, the symposium was a highly successful two days, away from the day-to-day pressures of work.
Martin Jones
Fine Chemicals Group
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