Process Analytical Technology for Online Monitoring of Organic Reactions by Mass Spectrometry and UV-Vis Spectroscopy

Process analytical technologies (PATs) are used in the pharmaceutical and other industries to monitor chemical processes in real-time with analytical instrumentation. Each PAT analyzer brings its own advantages and disadvantages to the process, and multiplexing PAT analyzers can be advantageous as they can provide confirmatory measurements and increase the overall confidence of the analysis. In a pedagogical setting, online reaction monitoring enables the instructor to explain the fundamentals of instrumental techniques while highlighting pertinent real world applications. Here we present a teaching laboratory exercise in which students monitor an amide bond formation reaction by flow UV-vis spectroscopy and by mass spectrometric analysis. The coupling of these two specific instruments allows students to investigate two instruments in one laboratory exercise, to explore the fundamentals behind each, and to contemplate the advantages and disadvantages of these instrumental methods. The coupling of the two instruments was aided by 3D printing which allowed students to explore how rapid prototyping can enable the development of innovative procedures.