Role of continuous flow processes in green manufacturing of pharmaceuticals and specialty chemicals

Recently, focus has turned towards increasing chemical process safety and sustainability for fundamental and applied research as well as manufacturing of pharmaceuticals and specialty chemicals. Flow chemistry techniques have attracted significant interest as a way to implement and improve chemical processes in order to satisfy the growing demand for chemical sustainability. In this article, we discuss emerging flow chemistry technologies with applications in green manufacturing of high-value chemicals and efficient screening of chemical reaction space. Continuous manufacturing techniques are increasingly being utilized to reduce the amount of material and energy utilized in a process while incorporating real-time analysis, control, and enhanced process safety. Beyond continuous production, flow screening techniques can rapidly search a multi-dimensional reaction space to improve process design, performance, and efficiency. Furthermore, time-efficient and material-efficient (green) flow screening platforms can be utilized to develop the next generation of process development technologies including predictive reaction models and process scale-up strategies.