A reactor vessel for carrying out solid phase synthesis, particularly the solid phase synthesis of oligonucleotides, peptides, and combinatorial chemistry is provided. The reactor vessel comprises two or more orifices spaced from one another through which liquids within the vessel can be discharged and has a mounting enabling the vessel to be rotated about an axis so that each orifice can be moved into and out of a discharge position. Each orifice is adapted for closure by removable filtration means which are secured to the vessel to filter liquids discharging through the orifice when the orifice is in the discharge position. Processes for replacing the filtration means and for solid phase synthesis employing the use of an agitator are provided.
1. A process for solid phase synthesis comprising the step of agitating a solid phase reaction mass comprising a solid support suitable for solid phase synthesis and a solvent in a reaction vessel with an agitator, wherein the solid phase reaction mass undergoes a solid phase synthesis, and wherein the agitator comprises one or more helical agitator blades.
2. The process of claim 1 , wherein the agitator has two helical agitator blades adapted to rotate about a substantially common axis.
3. The process of claim 2 , wherein the agitator further comprises a scroll blade.
4. The process of claim 3 , wherein the solid phase synthesis is a synthesis of peptides or oligonucleotides.
5. The process of claim 3 , wherein the scroll blade has a pitch which ranges from 1.5 to 2.5 times that of the helical agitator blade.
6. The process of claim 1 , further comprising the step of reacting a substrate attached to a solid support by means of a cleavable linker with solution phase reagents to produce a product attached to the solid support by means of the cleavable linker.
7. The process of claim 6 , wherein the solid phase synthesis is a synthesis of peptides or oligonucleotides.
8. The process of claim 1 , wherein the agitator has a ratio of agitator height to agitator diameter of less than 3:1.
9. The process of claim 8 , wherein the ratio of agitator height to agitator diameter is less than 1:1.
10. The process of claim 9 , wherein the solid phase synthesis is a synthesis of peptides or oligonucleotides.
11. The process of claim 1 , wherein the agitator has a pitch angle ranging from 3 to 20 degrees.
12. The process of claim 11 , wherein the pitch angle ranges from 7 to 12 degrees.
13. The process of claim 12 , wherein the solid phase synthesis is a synthesis of peptides or oligonucleotides.
14. The process of claim 1 , wherein the ratio of the agitator diameter to the vessel diameter ranges from 0.75:1 to less than 1:1.
15. The process of claim 14 , wherein ratio of the agitator diameter to the vessel diameter ranges from 0.95:1 to 0.985:1.
16. The process of claim 15 , wherein the solid phase synthesis is a synthesis of peptides or oligonucleotides.
17. The process of claim 3 , wherein the agitator comprises two helical agitator blades adapted to rotate about a substantially common axis having the same direction of screw thread about the substantially common axis and a scroll blade of opposite screw thread located alone the substantially common axis.
18. The process of claim 17 , wherein the solid phase synthesis is a synthesis of peptides or oligonucleotides.