What is?

Smaller, faster, better Miniaturisation has an enormous impact on today’s society, however, the power of miniaturisation is not limited to electronics. Chemical synthesis on a chip allows for faster and more selective reactions, hence reducing the amount of waste and eliminating expensive separation steps. Scaling up of industrial processes might become relatively easy by placing thousands of these chips in parallel. Eventually, these portable, modular factories - with capacities from milligrams to tons - will be able to replace today’s large scale industrial plants.

The first step towards miniaturisation of chemical processes was the application of microfluidics technology leading to analysis systems known as the ‘Lab-on-a-Chip’. Based on these first applications, a complete process on a chip should offer integrated circuits of micro channels, reaction junctions and finally characterisation and work-up steps. One can imagine that on a single chip potential pharmaceuticals may be synthesised, analysed and screened on a nanolitre scale. In this matter, several conventional development steps can be surpassed and only the most effective compounds need to be prepared in larger quantities. By using the aforementioned parallelisation, even scaling-up of the synthesis can be done on the chip. Therefore, to take miniaturisation research in the Netherlands a step further, the ‘Process on a Chip’ programme was initiated.

The PoaC programme forms a bridge between chemistry and micro-system technology, between fundamental science and its innovative applications. The programme consists of four clusters, each addressing a key challenge in the realisation of the ‘Process on a Chip’.

Basic Expertise The generic technology needed in all clusters is designed in this cluster. This involves the construction of building blocks and microsystems, designing nanofluidic systems and attaching catalysts to surfaces.

Analysis on a Chip In this cluster, novel methods for on-line monitoring of synthesis processes, such as NMR and MS facilities, are designed on a micrometer scale.

Synthesis on a Chip The main focus of this cluster is the development of cascade reactions on a chip. Approaches range from biotechnology to combinatorial chemistry and obviously, heterogeneous, homogeneous and biocatalysis play important roles.

Mixing and Separation on a Chip Mixing and separation on a nanoscale are important issues in the programme. For example, efficient separation of reaction products from side products and catalysts is essential to all integrated synthetic schemes.

The PoaC programme was initiated by the NEW foundation, which has it roots in the Radboud University Nijmegen, Twente University and Wageningen University. NEW combines the strength of the three institutes and other interested parties to bring Process on a Chip in the Netherlands to a higher level. In cooperation with NEW, the PoaC programme is coordinated by ACTS.

PoaC is financially supported by the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs as well as a number of Dutch industrial partners active in the field: Aquamarijn, Bronkhorst, DSM, Lionix, Micronit, Nanomi, Organon and TNO. The total budget comprises of 8.2 million euros for an initial period of five years. After the first call in 2003, 25 proposals were received of which five projects with various topics within the PoaC clusters were granted funding.