Automation in the organic chemistry laboratory: Why ? How ?

Abstract

Except in the analytical laboratories, there has not been until very recently a development in the use of automatic systems in chemistry laboratories comparable to what has been observed in the production units (or even in the field of electrical domestic appliances). However, experience has shown that the equipment of a research or development chemistry laboratory with more or less complex automatic systems significantly improves the efficiency of the researchers’ and technicians’ work on the condition, of course, that they simultaneously receive an adapted training. Indeed, not only the observations increase in number and in quality, security and working conditions are improved, but moreover, chemists experience a renewed interest in their activities which then become free of any repetitive and tedious aspects. The purpose of this paper is to focus attention on the difficulties which must be overcome in order to offer organic chemists automatic systems which correspond to their needs. © 1988 IUPAC