Flow chemistry (continuous flow chemistry) achieves precise control over key reaction parameters under continuous flow conditions, overcoming the limitations of traditional batch reactions. This technology reduces safety risks, enables stable scale-up, and minimizes environmental impact and energy consumption — making it widely adopted in large-scale manufacturing.
ChemExpress’ flow chemistry platform offers end-to-end services from pre-clinical to commercialization, with capabilities ranging from milligram to hundred-kilogram scale.
One-stop flow chemistry services across ADCs, payload-linkers, APIs, intermediates, peptides, and oligonucleotides.
As of 2025, delivered 490+ R&D projects, 260 technology transfer projects, 190+ kilogram- to hundred-kilogram-scale projects, and 3 ton-scale production projects
Covering multiple reactor formats and representative flow chemistry reaction types, enabling continuous process development for complex and challenging reaction systems
With both non-GMP and cGMP manufacturing resources to flexibly meet diverse quality requirements.
Flow chemistry technology improves process safety, shortens production cycles, reduces costs and lowers carbon emissions — supporting sustainable development
Examples of Nitration Reactions
ChemExpress has developed and scaled continuous flow processes for highly exothermic nitration reactions. Through rapid mixing, efficient mass and heat transfer, precise feed control, and minimal holdup, we have successfully achieved production from kilogram to hundred-kilogram scale.
Example of Swern Oxidation
To address the challenge of unstable intermediates, ChemExpress employed a rapid mixing and heat exchange strategy under cryogenic conditions. Continuous flow technology was implemented to overcome the safety and scalability limitations of cryogenic batch reactors. This continuous flow process has been successfully scaled to ton-level production, achieving a throughput of 100–200 kg/day.
Scale-up in flow chemistry focuses on maintaining process consistency rather than increasing reactor size. Key considerations include flow rate, residence time, mixing efficiency, heat transfer, pressure control, continuous run stability, sampling strategy and downstream compatibility. ChemExpress integrates scale-up and technology transfer considerations into the development phase to minimize the risks associated with process transition.
Flow chemistry is particularly well-suited for highly exothermic reactions (e.g. nitration, azidation), reactions involving hazardous intermediates, photochemical reactions, and processes requiring strict temperature or residence time control.
