Flexible & Durable Fibre Optics for Mid Infrared Reaction Monitoring

Accurate, real time reaction monitoring is critical if chemical process research and development is to be productive in the pharmaceutical industry. Polycrystalline mid infrared fibre optics from Fibre Photonics (UK) are flexible, durable and highly transmissive within the mid‐infrared region (3300‐550 cm‐1). As a fibre material of choice in robust ATR immersion probes, they provide the capability to accurately monitor and quantify the formation and reactive activity of key functional groups through their individual fundamental vibrations.

Fibre Photonics provide a range of ATR mid‐infrared fibre optic immersion probes as a real‐time in situ reaction monitoring solution within a laboratory and production environment. Each probe can be coupled to an FTIR spectrometer by means of SMA connectors and has been designed to withstand the ever changing requirements of a development laboratory, especially where high through‐put or scale up reactions monitoring are required.

Several key functional groups can be investigated using the broad spectral range of one single mid infrared immersion probe, including carbonyl, unsaturated hydrocarbon, amine and alkyl halide containing compounds. Each probe offers a real‐time insight into common reactions used in the development of API’s, biofuels, fine and bulk chemicals including addition, substitution and condensation reactions as well as oxidation and reduction reactions. The close monitoring of the reactivity results in faster scale‐up and reaction optimisation resulting in R&D time being saved in the laboratory.