Snapdragon Chemistry’s New Collaboration with Pfizer

08.01.2020

Waltham, MA – August 1, 2020 – Snapdragon Chemistry collaborates with Pfizer on a continuous process for preparing the difluoromethylating reagent [(DMPU)2Zn(CF2H)2] and improved synthesis of the ICHF2 Precursor.

In this article, we describe how Complex [(DMPU)2Zn(CF2H)2] 1 is a crystalline organometallic reagent with utility in various catalytic difluoromethylation reactions under mild conditions. Unfortunately, this reagent is not commercially available and the procedure for the preparation of this air- and moisture-sensitive zinc complex has only been reported on a small scale. Herein, we report the development of a continuous process for the preparation of reagent 1 on >100 g scale by using a continuous stirred-tank reactor. The key to success is the design of a continuous reactive crystallization process in which the precipitation of the zinc complex 1 is driven by its low solubility in the reaction solvent. The improved synthesis of the iododifluoromethane precursor 2 from readily available bromodifluoroacetic acid further enables the synthesis of complex 1 on a larger scale.

View the full article (via ACS Publications)

About Snapdragon Chemistry
Snapdragon Chemistry specializes in active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) batch and continuous flow process development, utilizing state-of-the-art automation technology and proprietary equipment to solve complex process and analytical development challenges. With R&D and manufacturing headquartered in Waltham, Massachusetts, Snapdragon’s 70+ employees come with strong ties to the local scientific community, with 31 PhD scientists on staff. For more information, please contact info@snapdragonchemistry.com.