Enantio-specific crystallization system and method thereof
The present invention relates to a technique for flow crystallization. The system comprises a container having a bottom surface defining a first plane, the container including at least two planar magnetic surfaces being arranged in a spaced-apart manner along a first plane and being substantially parallel to a second plane; a magnetization vector of each of the magnetic surfaces being perpendicularly to the surface, wherein the container is configured such that the first plane is substantially perpendicularly to the second plane; wherein a cavity formed in between the planar magnetic surfaces is configured to accommodate a racemic mixture including different enantiomers such that each magnetic surface interacts differently with each of the different enantiomers to thereby enable enantio-selective crystallization. Therefore, the system of the present invention is based on enantio-separation of the crystals using magnetic surfaces.
1 . A system for flow crystallization comprising:
a container having a bottom surface defining a first plane and at least one side surface defining a second plane substantially perpendicular to the first plane; and
an arrangement of at least two planar magnetic surfaces in the container, said at least two planar magnetic surfaces being arranged in a spaced-apart manner along said first plane defined by the bottom surface, wherein:
each planar magnetic surface extends substantially parallel to the second plane defined by the at least one side surface of the container, and a magnetization vector of each planar magnetic surfaces is perpendicular to the respective planar magnetic surface; said arrangement of the at least two planar magnetic surfaces forms a cavity comprising a space between said at least two planar magnetic surfaces, said cavity being configured to accommodate a racemic mixture including different enantiomers and present a path for passing said racemic mixture therethrough,
the magnetization vector of each of said at least two planar magnetic surfaces affects differently an interaction of the different enantiomers in the racemic mixture flowing through said path, and enables enantio-selective crystallization of each different enantiomer separately on a different magnetic surface of the at least two planar magnetic surfaces.
2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein each two planar magnetic surfaces of said at least two planar magnetic surfaces have opposite magnetization, one with respect to the other.
3 . The system of claim 1 , wherein, for each two planar magnetic surfaces of said at least two planar magnetic surfaces, a first planar magnetic surface is magnetized such that a north pole of the planar magnetic surface has the magnetization vector pointing towards the cavity, and a second planar magnetic surface is magnetized such that a south pole of the magnetic surface has the magnetization vector pointing towards the cavity.
4 . The system of claim 1 , comprising an inlet for inputting and an outlet for outputting the racemic mixture; said inlet and outlet being placed in planes perpendicular to a plane defined by the at least one planar magnetic surfaces.
5 . The system of claim 1 , comprising a pump being configured and operable to control a flow of the racemic mixture along said path.
6 . The system of claim 1 , comprising at least one temperature controller being configured and operable to control at least one of temperature of the racemic mixture or temperature of the planar magnetic surfaces.
7 . The system of claim 1 , wherein said cavity comprises a separating structure being configured to separate the cavity into two sub-channels, wherein said separating structure has another surface being configured to attract an enantiomer and enable crystallization thereof on the another magnetic surface.
8 . The system of claim 1 , wherein said planar magnetic surfaces comprises ferromagnetic or paramagnetic substrates being magnetized.
9 . The system of claim 1 , wherein said planar magnetic surfaces are structured with a roughness and configured to increase the enantio-selective crystallization of the enantiomers.
10 . A method for flow crystallization, the method comprising:
providing the system of claim 1
providing a racemic mixture including different enantiomers, and flowing the racemic mixture along said path, comprising a cavity comprising a space between the two substantially parallel planar magnetic surfaces, thereby providing that the magnetization vector of each the two substantially parallel planar magnetic surfaces affects an interaction of different enantiomers in the racemic mixture differently to enable crystallization of each different enantiomer on a different planar magnetic surface of said two substantially parallel planar magnetic surfaces.
11 . The method of claim 10 , comprising controlling a flow of the racemic mixture along said path.
12 . The method of claim 10 , comprising controlling a temperature of the racemic mixture and/or at least one of the two substantially parallel planar magnetic surfaces.
13 . The method of claim 10 , wherein said flowing of the mixture through the path is performed continuously.
14 . The method of claim 10 , further comprising dissolving crystals on the two substantially parallel planar magnetic surfaces.
15 . The method of claim 14 , wherein dissolving crystals on the two substantially parallel planar magnetic surfaces comprises flowing a solvent therein to enable interaction with one of the two substantially parallel planar magnetic surfaces; changing the orientation of the path and flowing the solvent therein to enable interaction with the other of said two substantially parallel planar magnetic surface.
16 . The method of claim 14 , wherein dissolving crystals on the two substantially parallel planar magnetic surfaces comprises providing a separating structure being configured to separate the path into two sub-channels and dissolving crystals on the separating structure.