Apparatus and method of research for creating and testing novel catalysts, reactions and polymers

Abstract

A method and system for researching and developing and/or optimizing new catalysts and products in a combinatorial manner is disclosed. The method begins with starting components or a ligand library and provides methods of creating catalyst or product libraries, which are then tested in a reaction of interest. The system uses methods of robotic handling for moving libraries from station to station. The method and apparatus are especially useful for synthesizing, screening, and characterizing combinatorial catalyst libraries, but also offer significant advantages over conventional experimental methods as well.

1 . A system for the research or development of catalysts or polymers comprising: 
 a storage area comprising two or more starting components;    a combining station that receives said starting components and combines said starting components in different ratios;    a reaction station that receives said different ratios of starting components and subjects said different ratios of starting components to a reaction of interest in parallel under reaction conditions thereby forming a product library of non-biological polymers;    a daughtering station adapted to receive a sample of one or more of the non-biological polymer products from said product library to form a daughter library of non-biological polymers; and,    a screening station equipped to receive the product or daughter library of non-biological polymers and screen said library for a property of interest.    
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising a filtering station between said combining station and reaction station.  
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising a transport system for transporting starting components or libraries from station to station.  
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising a control system for controlling or monitoring said system.  
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 4 , wherein said control system collects data from said screening station and stores such data in a database.  
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 4 , wherein said control system synchronizes the movement of plates in which said libraries are contained from one station to another.  
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein said screening station is equipped to screen at least a portion the product or daughter library of non-biological polymers for molecular weight.  
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein said screening station is equipped to screen at least a portion of the product or daughter library of non-biological polymers for particle size.  
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein said screening station is equipped to screen at least a portion of the product or daughter library of non-biological polymers using Infrared thermography, Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy, thin layer chromatography, mass spectroscopy, gas chromatography or nuclear magnetic resonance.