(1/5) My two cents from someone in the energetic materials arena. Med chem is equivalent to small molecule discovery of new explosive and propellant ingredients. Process chem is the scale-up of these materials for testing purposes.
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(2/5) In the discovery phase, cost of reagents, cost of synthesis, and length of the synthesis route aren’t an immediate priority. Goal is to make the new stuff, and get preliminary data to see if it’s even worth scaling-up.
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(3/5) If the new energetic fails thermal analysis, is found to be too sensitive to work with, or is incompatible with ingredients it will come into contact with in a formulation, then its dead. This can be determined with little material
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#chemtwitter #RealTimeChem @RealTimeChem
(4/5) A large number of molecules never make it past this discovery stage. I always find it comical when I read papers about how “molecule X” will be the next greatest thing since canned beer as soon as it’s discovered.
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#chemtwitter #RealTimeChem @RealTimeChem
(5/5) These kinds of statements made at the early discovery phase are examples of sensationalism so that the paper gets into high impact journals, or to appeal to a funding agency. Yet many of these claims are also inherently dishonest.
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(6/19) Truth is that when a new energetic is discovered, there may be a lot of POTENTIAL uses. But until a compound is proven-out fully, you won’t know it’s value. To flesh out those differences, process chemistry enters the discussion.
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#chemtwitter #RealTimeChem @RealTimeChem
(7/19) In the energetics field, new molecule discovery gets much of the glory. Folks fawn and drool over new materials and new technologies, even though the bulk of them haven’t been fully vetted, and aren’t ready for prime time yet.
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#chemtwitter #RealTimeChem @RealTimeChem
(8/19) Process work is what I refer to as the “meat and potatoes research.” It doesn’t get the glory, it’s blue-collar grunt work. It is often forgotten about amongst those looking to tell a story for the sake of a sales pitch.
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(9/19) But it is the process work that determines whether a new molecule or technological discovery will make it or not. Here, cost matters. Scalability matters. Number of synthesis steps matters Engineering controls damn well matter.
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(10/19) If a new energetic is found to pass preliminary thermal hazard analysis, sensitivity, and compatibility, then the scalability aspects are addressed. Discovery routes are torn apart and reworked to supply adequate material.
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(11/19) Safety concerns, which are always important in any energetics area, are doubly important in process work. Things that aren’t hazardous on small-scale can certainly be a concern on process scale. These must be kept in mind.
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(12/19) In energetics, process chemistry is where synthesis, engineering, and physical chemistry meet. Material made in large scales are needed for large scale testing and analysis. Many technologies still die at this stage.
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(13/19) Process chemistry provides a significant, interdisciplinary challenge. Process chemistry may not be flashy, but it provides the “meat and potatoes slides” in meetings that tell how far a discovery molecule has progressed.
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(14/19) Now there’s one aspect that hasn’t been discussed, and that’s formulation science. Like in pharma, this area exists in energetics, too. Many of its people are chock full of knowledge, yet typically remain hidden from view.
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(15/19) A successful formulator understands how complex chemistry/engineering aspects work when several ingredients are mixed together. Much of it cannot be predicted computationally. It’s passed down from generation to generation.
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(16/19) I hear many liken the formulators to cake bakers, and that analogy is, frankly, disgraceful. This science is incredibly complex, and the good formulators know decades of chemistry and engineering that would put many to shame.
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#chemtwitter #RealTimeChem @RealTimeChem
(17/19) So what’s better, discovery (med chem), or process work? Truth is that there isn’t a wrong choice. Both are important pieces of pushing the science and a technology forward. I think understanding both are key to doing good work.
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#chemtwitter #RealTimeChem @RealTimeChem
(18/19) Personally, I’ve been blessed to do all three in my field (discovery synthesis, process work, at least at pilot scales, and small- and large scale formulation. Having a knowledge of all 3 has made me a better scientist overall.
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#chemtwitter #RealTimeChem @RealTimeChem
(19/19) I would advise anybody in a synthesis setting to try your hand at both discovery and process to see what you like better. And imbed yourself in the formulation science, too, so you appreciate how complex that side can be.
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#chemtwitter #RealTimeChem @RealTimeChem
