Custom synthesis from a route sketch
Compounds that are not in the catalogue, made from gram scale to multi-kilo lots. The route is reviewed before a price is given, because the step count and the purification burden decide the cost far more than the molecular weight does.
What we take on
Custom work falls into three groups: a catalogue compound at a quantity the standard packing does not cover, a known compound that is not commercially available at the purity you need, and a new compound for which a route has to be worked out.
The first two are usually straightforward. The third is where the route review matters, and it is also where most of the work sits.
How a project is quoted
Send the structure, the target quantity and the specification. A first response covers the proposed route, the steps that are likely to limit yield, the analytical work needed at release, and an indicative range. That response does not cost anything, and it is written by the person who would run the route.
If the route is viable, a feasibility lot is quoted separately. Nothing is scaled before the feasibility lot has been analysed and accepted against your specification.
Scale and equipment
| Stage | Typical quantity | What is decided at this stage |
|---|---|---|
| Feasibility | 1–50 g | Route viability, impurity profile, analytical method |
| Lab lot | 50–500 g | Isolation, drying, packing, yield per step |
| Kilo lab | 0.5–5 kg | Charge ratios, addition rates, work-up time |
| Repeat lots | 5–100 kg | Reserve stock, call-off schedule |
What is written into every custom lot
- The specification, agreed before the first lot rather than after it.
- The analytical method used for assay, and its limit of quantification.
- The impurity profile at release, with the specified limits for each named impurity.
- Storage and retest conditions, and the retained sample period.
What we do not do
No compounds for human or veterinary consumption, no pesticides or household products, and no work on structures that would put the receiving laboratory outside its own permits. If a request falls into one of those groups, the answer is no and the reason is given.
Practical notes
Shipping papers follow the destination. Hazard classification is stated on the SDS, and where a compound is not yet classified for transport the classification is done before the lot is packed rather than at the airport.