Apparatus for synthesis of multiple organic compounds with pinch valve

Abstract

The simultaneous synthesis of diverse organic compounds is performed in stackable modules which are moveable among nesting sites located on work station platforms. The reactor module includes a block adapted to receive an array of tube-like reactor vessels. The vessels are sized to optionally accept porus polyethelyene mircocannisters with radio frequency transmitter tags. Each vessel has a bottom port connected to an outlet tube. A valve block located below the reactor vessels simultaneously controls discharge through the outlet tubes. The valve block includes plates with aligned, relatively moveable sets of rib surfaces which act through Teflon encapsulated silicone O-ring cord sections to simultaneously close rows of outlet tubes. By first utilizing reactor vessels in one set of 48 positions, out of the possible 52 reactor vessel positions in the reactor block, and then utilizing reactor vessels in the other set of 48 positions and shifting the relative position of the collection plate, a single reactor can be employed to discharge into all of the wells of a standard 96 well microtiter collection plate. The apparatus can be used to perform the entire synthesis or only the final cleavage step of a radio frequency tagged synthesis.