High-throughput catalyst synthesis and testing, automated experimental protocols; CCRI also houses the Materials Characterization Facility.
The facility houses high-throughput instrumentation from Unchained Labs, parallel pressure reactors from Parr Instrument Company, and associated analytical tools.
Preparation and testing of catalysts in a high-throughput mode, using robotic tools and parallel pressure reactors. Associated anaytical tools that can be accessed by external users include: high-performance liquid chromatography-supercritical fluid chromatography-mass spectrometer (HPLC-SFC-MS ), gas chromatographs-flame ionization detector (GC-FID), ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS), gas chromatography-mass spectrometer (GC-MS), and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR).
- Chemical industries
- Clean technology
- Education
- Energy (renewable and fossil)
- Forestry and forest-based industries
Specialized Labs and Equipment
Name of specialized lab |
Name of equipment |
Description of function |
High-Throughput Experimentation Lab |
Automated sample processor module for the preparation of reaction plates and the execution of experimental protocols, located inside a triple drybox |
Generates reaction plates for catalyst preparation or evaluation of catalyzed reactions |
|
Automated benchtop sample processor, mainly for pre-analysis processing of plates |
Generates daughter plates for analysis |
|
Screening pressure reactor for conducting pressurized reactions on multi-well plates, with gas handling system |
Allows for pressurized gas reactions on multi-well plates |
|
Four-position heated orbital shaker for conducting pressurized reactions on multi-well plates |
Allows for pressurized gas reactions on multi-well plates |
|
Supercritical fluid/high-performance liquid chromatograph hybrid (SFC/HPLC), with DAD and MS detectors |
Characterization of reaction products |
|
Gas chromatographs with flame ionization detectors (2) |
Characterization of reaction products |
|
Gas chromatograph integrated with a mass spectrometer detector (GC/MS) |
Characterization of reaction products |
|
High-performance liquid chromatograph (HPLC), with DAD (Diode array detector) detector |
Characterization of reaction products |
|
Eight-solvent purification system piped directly into drybox |
Provides dry solvents for catalyst preparation and testing |
|
Karl-Fischer Titrator |
Determines water concentrations in organic solvents |
|
Design and execution software and database, with dedicated server for integrated operation of high-throughput synthesis and evaluation of catalytic reactions |
Supports robotic tools, data acquisition and analysis |
|
Variety of chiral columns for GC/SFC/HPLC instruments |
Characterization of asymmetric reaction products |
Parallel Pressure Reactors |
Six 25 mL Parr Reactors, one with auto-sampling and 1 with manual sampling |
Allows for catalyst testing at higher pressures and in-sequence |
High-Pressure Lab |
Gas handling set-up and 13 reaction bays for high-pressure reactions |
Allows for catalyst testing at higher pressures and conducting high-pressure reactions at lab scales |
Private and Public Sector Research Partners
- BioAmber
- EcoSynthetix
- GreenField Global
- Lonza
- National Research Council (NRC)
- Canada National Institute for Nanotechnology (NINT)
- GreenCentre Canada
- Center for Enabling New Technologies through Catalysis (CENTC USA)
Additional Information
Title |
URL |
The farmer in the Lab |