Joshua Jortner Distinguished Lectures In Chemistry: "From Continuous Flow Chemistry To Transforming The Chemical Industry Into A Circular Economy"
Guest Lecturer: Prof. Dr. Peter H. Seeberger, Director at the Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces, and the Founding Director of the Center for the Transformation of Chemistry (CTC), Germany
HOW CAN CHEMICAL PRODUCTION BECOME MORE SUSTAINABLE?
The Institute of Advanced Studies is honored to welcome Prof. Dr. Peter H. Seeberger as part of the Joshua Jortner Distinguished Lectures in Chemistry. In his lecture, "From Continuous Flow Chemistry to Transforming the Chemical Industry into a Circular Economy," Professor Seeberger will explore the potential of continuous flow chemistry to transform the way chemicals and pharmaceuticals are produced. He will discuss how continuous flow systems can support automated reaction optimization and generate reliable data for machine learning, while enabling more sustainable, cost-effective production based on renewable and recycled raw materials.
COURSE DETAILS
When: Tuesday, 3 November 2026, 12:30
Where: Jaglom Auditorium, Senate Building
Light refreshments will be served before the lecture.
The lecture is open to the public and will be conducted in English.
MORE ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Prof. Dr. Peter H. Seeberger is Director at the Max Planck Institute for Colloids and Interfaces in Potsdam, Professor at Freie Universität Berlin, and Honorary Professor at the University of Potsdam. He is the Founding Director of the Center for the Transformation of Chemistry (CTC). A renowned expert in glycosciences and continuous chemistry, Professor Seeberger uses synthetic carbohydrates to investigate the role of glycans in biologically and medically relevant processes and their applications in novel materials. His work in continuous chemistry focuses on the rapid and reliable preparation of complex molecules, including drug substances. His research has resulted in several spin-off companies in the USA, Switzerland, Denmark, and Germany. He has also served as Vice President of the German Research Foundation (DFG) since 2021.
FULL ABSTRACT
FROM CONTINUOUS FLOW CHEMISTRY TO TRANSFORMING THE CHEMICAL INDUSTRY INTO A CIRCULAR ECONOMY
Continuous chemical processes have attracted both academic and industrial interest.1 Continuous photochemistry2 resulted in the production of the malaria medication artemisinin in a simple and inexpensive process.3 Continuous flow systems are useful for automated reaction optimization4 and provide reliable data for the use of machine learning tools in order to predict the outcome of reactions. 5 The “radial synthesis” concept enables the autonomous production of medications6 and has been scaled to produce generic drugs.
The Center for the Transformation of Chemistry (CTC) received €1.25 billion to address one of the most pressing challenges of the 21st century. The future supply of chemicals and pharmaceuticals must be ensured through local, cost-effective and sustainable production processes mainly from renewable raw materials or recycled materials. The CTC works mission oriented and focuses on two „moonshots“:7 the completely recyclable laboratory and a completely recyclable car.8
References
1. Plutschack, M.; Pieber, B.; Gilmore, K.; Seeberger, P.H.; Chem.Rev. 2017, 117, 11796.
2. Lévesque, F.; Seeberger, P.H.; Org. Lett. 2011, 13, 5008.
3. Triemer, S.; Gilmore, K.; Truong Vu, G.; Seeberger, P.H.; Seidel-Morgenstern, A.; Angew.Chem.Int.Ed. 2018, 57, 5525.
4. Chatterjee, S.; Moon, S.; Hentschel, F.; Gilmore, K.; Seeberger, P.H.; J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2018, 140, 11942.
5. Moon, S.; Chatterjee, S.; Seeberger, P.H.; Gilmore, K. Chem. Sci. 2021, 12, 2931
6. Chatterjee, S.; Guidi, M.; Seeberger, P.H.; Gilmore, K.; Nature 2020, 579, 379.
7. Plutschack, M.B.; Seeberger, P.H.; Green Chem., 2024, 26, 7443.
8. Schoemaker, R.; Sun, C.; … Tyrikos-Ergas, T.; Seeberger, P.H.; ACS Centr. Sci. 2025, 11, 1052.
Joshua Jortner Distinguished Lectures in Chemistry - Coordinator: Prof. Gil Markovich
