Reaction optimization
The problem
Optimizing reactions for small-molecule synthesis is easier said than done. Understanding all the reactions, conditions, and variables it takes to make a molecule isn’t just complex — it’s time-consuming and material-intensive. Getting complete data across all parameters is rarely possible, especially when reagents are expensive or in short supply.
Automation can help, but most systems falter once continuous variables like time, temperature, and pressure come into play. Running small-scale reactions fast and reproducibly under real process conditions demands automation built for control, not compromise. But doing more with automation isn’t the same as learning more. Traditional automation helps you move faster, but it doesn’t help you understand your science faster.
The right tool for the job
Stuntman combines built-in AI with an adaptable automation platform that takes the complexity out of reaction optimization. Turn your natural-language prompts into executable scripts that can orchestrate closed-loop automation from start to finish. Stuntman’s AI helps plan and organize experiments, interpret results, and guide how things progress. Design, execute, and analyze experiments all in one place using Stuntman AI, intuitive drag-and-drop interface workflows, or Python with full API access. Every step is tracked in real time and logged as it happens.
Deck it out your way to automate experimental setup, control, and analysis, so you can explore more conditions with less material, faster and more reproducibly than ever before. When you need to study continuous variables like time, temperature, and pressure, or track kinetics in real time across dozens of reactions, Stuntman’s Optimization Sampling Reactor (OSR) is the go-to. It keeps a closer eye on every reaction, uses less material, and frees up your hands for the science that really matters. All this control means you can trust your data and draw the right conclusions.
What’s possible
What's an OSR?
The Optimizing Sampling Reactor (OSR) is an 8-channel reactor with independent control of pressure and temperature, and gas or liquid feeds. The OSR covers a wide operating range – up to 750 psi (51.7 bar), -15 °C to 200 °C, and working volumes from <1 - 25 mL per reaction and is chemically compatible with most reaction conditions. Each reactor includes an antechamber for sampling under full temperature and pressure, so you can monitor progress or pull aliquots mid-run without disturbing reaction equilibrium. Stuntman deck can be filled with up to 48 reactors to run in parallel or sequence.
The OSR’s heated reactor top keeps your solutions in the vial, while overhead stirring ensures uniform mixing even in heterogeneous or slurry systems. Reactions can be started by turning on the gas line or adding catalysts or reactants through the injection port. Each gas inlet is precisely metered, so you can add discrete amounts of reactive gases and track uptake throughout the run.
The injection arm handles liquid or slurry additions with ease. If you’re injecting a catalyst to kick off a reaction, the needle bore is wide enough to pick up and transfer a slurry. When reactions finish, quenching is just as controlled. Stuntman’s software automatically monitors gas uptake or time per reactor and triggers quenching or sampling when thresholds are hit. You can quench a completed reactor with the injection arm and continue to process or initiate other reactors.
The same injection arm does double duty as a sampling tool, pulling small, representative aliquots from each reactor at different time points. That means you can perform true kinetic studies, so you can use analytical tools to determine reagent conversion, reaction endpoints and monitor impurity formation.
Depending on chemistry requirements and deck space, reactions can be prepared directly in glass vials on the Stuntman deck – dosing both solids and liquids. The screening step that comes before optimization can be easily run on the same Stuntman deck, allowing you to identify promising conditions and move straight into optimization without changing platforms. When reactions are complete, Stuntman automates dilution and sample prep for offline analysis, creating ready-to-run samples for LC, GC, or spectroscopy. It’s a complete workflow — setup, screen, and optimize — all on one system. And if you want it all in an inert atmosphere, no problem.
Integrations
With Stuntman, the possibilities are endless. Use Stuntman’s built-in AI or Python API to connect with your own tools, data systems, or AI and machine learning platforms. Drop in modules that your workflow calls for or hook it up with third-party systems. Keep expanding as your workflows evolve.
Stuntman
Stuntman has natural-language AI embedded directly into the system to help plan and design smarter experiments, close the loop faster, and adapt as conditions change, while hardware is configured upfront to fit your workflow. The result is faster iteration, more informative data, and automation that finally keeps pace with real science, whether you’re working in chemistry, biologics, materials, or beyond.
Want more info?
Every lab has different bottlenecks and challenges. We’re all about partnering with you to build the bespoke solution that lets you do science faster and better. Have questions or can’t wait to speak with our expert team to find out what might be possible?