Ecosynth NV Your partner for sustainable molecule and process development

Initially founded as a chemical consultancy company in 2001, EcoSynth gradually developed into a provider of chemical contract research with core business in the design and synthesis of molecules, development and improvement of processes, and the study of chemical stability. Currently counting 21 staff members, R&D activities in sustainable chemistry topics seamlessly combine with services to the chemical and life sciences industry making a robust business model. T he synthesis services typically involve small molecules up to 1 kg and mainly include building blocks, reference compounds, and intermediates per own or customer protocol. The design and make of new molecules, as part of a smart library series for specific application testing, is an advanced and more comprehensive service provided to companies in need of external R&D capacity.

Beside synthesis, EcoSynth is actively pursuing sustainability by developing and optimizing processes for the chemical industry: process performance is intensified while side streams are treated as opportunistic resources. In each approach, both economic and ecological leverage are dominating factors under the motto ‘turn a cost into an asset’. Innovative technologies including flow chemistry and photochemistry allow exploration of virgin chemical space, the impact of which may be considerable when for example reducing the number of steps or energy demand toward the target compound or when aiming at biomass conversion.

With key expertise in design, synthesis, and chemical reactivity of organic molecules, a new segment was recently added to the service portfolio. Customers confronted with unexpected stability issues in chemical formulations consulted EcoSynth to assess, diagnose, and provide a solution for the undesired reaction pathways often triggered by uncontrolled exposure to light, heat, oxygen, or humidity. These ad hoc stability studies give insight at the molecular level and have proven valuable if not essential in developing formulations with adequate shelf life.

EcoSynth’s proprietary R&D activities are focused on sustainable chemistry in view of keeping a state-of-the-art service level. Efforts in main topics as flow chemistry, photochemistry, and advanced

catalysis are justified by increasing industrial interest. Catalysis is a way to reduce the energy demand, but tolerance to heavy metals is very low. EcoSynth anticipated by developing a non-toxic metal catalytic system (iron, zinc), an invention that is covered by a worldwide patent. Even more advanced is the use of light to trigger chemical processes. Photochemistry allows production of a new range of molecules, many with unprecedented properties, or drastically reduces process costs by increasing selectivity or shunting synthetic sequences.

Since 2017, all of these activities are carried out in a newly built, technologically outstanding laboratory. Obviously supporting current services, the infrastructure also enables the company to look forward and install new technologies, the most important of which is upscaled reactor capacity. These plans have already led to the spin-out of Creaflow, a new company established as a direct result of an R&D collaboration with Aji Bio Pharma. Together with this CMO, which provides GMP scale-up services, Creaflow designed and manufactured a multipurpose, scalable reactor ideal for photochemistry. Already on the market, this development perfectly underlines EcoSynth’s philosophy: cleverly combine R&D and service work and timely launch pipeline projects to land in maturing markets.

© EcoSynth Nv

Ecosynth NV Industrielaan 12 - B-9800 Deinze Tel.: +32 (0)9 235 48 90 E-mail: info@ecosynth.be http://www.ecosynth.be/