Accelerating High-Throughput Oxidation Screening at the University of Johannesburg with the Carousel 12 Plus Reaction Station

Researchers in the Department of Chemical Sciences at the University of Johannesburg have published new work demonstrating a low-cost, high-throughput approach for miniaturised oxidation reaction screening using solid reagent dispensing methodologies. The study utilised the Carousel 12 Plus Reaction Station as part of the experimental workflow.

Led by Prof Reinout Meijboom and colleagues, the research focused on developing a silica (SiO₂)-based solid dispensing approach capable of accurately delivering nanomole-scale quantities of reagents for high-throughput experimentation (HTE). The work addresses a key challenge in reaction screening, namely the accurate and reproducible dispensing of small quantities of solid reagents without relying on expensive automated systems.

As part of the study, the team investigated the oxidation of styrene using palladium on carbon (Pd/C) and tert-butyl hydroperoxide (TBHP). Reactions were heated under reflux at 80 °C for 6 hours using the Carousel 12 Plus Reaction Station coupled with magnetic stirring.

The researchers demonstrated successful oxidation of styrene to several products, including benzaldehyde and styrene oxide, achieving an overall styrene conversion of 72.54%. The work highlighted how the solid dispensing method enabled accurate and efficient reagent handling for miniaturised reactions while maintaining reproducibility.

The project also extended the methodology to copper-catalysed oxidative esterification reactions, where 96 reaction conditions were screened simultaneously to identify optimal combinations of bases and ligands.

According to the authors, the combination of high-throughput workflows and the SiO₂-based dispensing strategy offers an accessible and scalable alternative for academic laboratories conducting reaction optimisation studies. The approach enables rapid screening while reducing reagent consumption and minimising reliance on costly automation platforms.

The authors concluded that the methodology demonstrates broad applicability across different catalytic systems and supports efficient high-throughput reaction screening workflows.

Discover how the Carousel 12 Plus Reaction Station supports parallel synthesis and reaction optimisation workflows in academic and industrial laboratories.

Link to paper