An Automated Microwave-Assisted Synthesis Purification System for Rapid Generation of Compound Libraries

A novel methodology for the synthesis and purification of drug-like compound libraries has been developed through the use of a microwave reactor with an integrated high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS) system. The strategy uses a fully automated synthesizer with a microwave as energy source and robotic components for weighing and dispensing of solid reagents, handling liquid reagents, capper/crimper of microwave reaction tube assemblies, and transportation. Crude reaction products were filtered through solid-phase extraction cartridges and injected directly onto a reverse-phase chromatography column via an injection valve. For multistep synthesis, crude products were passed through scavenger resins and reintroduced for subsequent reactions. All synthetic and purification steps were conducted under full automation with no handling or isolation of intermediates, to afford the desired purified products. This approach opens the way to highly efficient generation of drug-like compounds as part of a lead discovery strategy or within a lead optimization program.