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ICIQ – Innovation & Valorisation Laboratory

Building bridges between academia and industry

Since 2010, the Innovation and Valorisation Laboratory of ICIQ has been committed to bring science to market, hence contributing to the creation of a knowledge-based economy.

The Innovation and Valorisation Laboratory of ICIQ carries out the transfer of knowledge and technology to society through two main strategies:

  • Support to companies towards product or process innovation with cutting-edge technologies.
  • Valorisation to enable commercialisation of ICIQ’s own technologies, where the unit serves as a springboard to bring fundamental research into the market.

Along the years, the Innovation and Valorisation Laboratory of ICIQ has acquired a great experience in the broad field of chemistry thanks to its numerous collaborations with key national and international pharmaceutical, agrochemical and material companies, as well as its partnerships with scientific institutions in chemistry, biology or medicine, among others. On the other side, the Innovation and Valorisation Laboratory of ICIQ has successfully participated in the scientific development of some ICIQ’s cutting-edge technologies by incubating the ICIQ spin-off companies to ensure their success.

Focusing on ICIQ’s main research lines, its multidisciplinary team offers a wide expertise to accompany both academic groups and actors from the public or private sector in their pathway to innovation.

If you are facing difficulties in the development of your projects, if you want to scale-up a process, or if you need assistance for your technology to reach the market, the Innovation and Valorisation Laboratory of ICIQ will be the ideal platform to fulfil your objectives.

Expertise

Design of Experiments (DoE)

Applied statistics dealing with planning, conducting and analyzing a limited number of experiments so as to evaluate the parameters that would influence the outcome of the reactions for further optimization.

High Throughput Experimentation (HTE)

Execution of a large numbers of experiments conducted in parallel. Combined with UPLC analysis, reaction conditions can be quickly optimized and allows obtaining libraries of compounds.

Mechanochemistry

Vibratory or planetary ball mills allow a fine grinding and mixing of solid chemical entities that can initiate chemical reactions by mechanical phenomena for new studies on products formation.

Organic synthesis

Original and efficient multi-step synthesis of small molecules and natural products using enantioselective catalysis for the construction of chiral centers.

Photochemistry

Discovery of new reactions thanks to visible or ultraviolet light that can have a potent effect on chemical reactions and induce reactivities that are not possible under thermal conditions.

Polymer synthesis

In order to find new sustainable materials, our lab develops innovative polymers from biosourced monomers and possesses its own GPC equipment for analysis.

Process development

Development and optimization of production processes as well as the scale-up of reactions in a way that will mimic the production at a plant e.g., without using column chromatography for purification, telescoping of steps, azeotropic removal of water, increase reaction concentration, purging experiments, etc.

Purification techniques

Depending on the amount, from mg to kg, molecules synthesized at the lab are purified using various strategies: column chromatography, crystallization, distillation, acid-base washing, etc.

Highlighted projects and publications

Equipment

  • Aapptec Focus XC Peptide synthesizer

    Polypeptides are easily synthesized thanks to this fully automated apparatus.

  • Anycubic Photon S 3D Printer

    With such printer, new photopolymerization formulations can be optimized. It also allows to design devices for various applications such as heterogeneous catalysis or gas separation.

  • Biostat potentiostat

    Electrochemical reactions can be finely tuned with such item that allows to regulate the required current for specific reactions.

  • Gas Chromatography (GC) Agilent 7890A with Autosampler 7693

    As a complement to HPLC, GC allows the separation and detection of more volatile compounds.

  • Gel Permeation Chromatography (GPC) Agilent 1200 Series

    GPC allows to determine key characteristics of large molecular weight compounds such as polymers or oligomers.

  • High-Pressure Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) Agilent Infinity 1260 + Quadrupole LC/MS 6130

    HPLC-MS allows a daily routine follow-up of experiments as well as it can be used for purity determination. Thanks to this technique, separation of compounds mixture as well as determination of chemical structures are facilitated.

  • LEDs for light irradiation with several wavelengths

    Photochemical reactions required specific wavelengths. Thanks to our various available lights, processes can be optimised to develop reactions with uncommon reactivity compared to classical thermic conditions.

  • MBraun LabMaster SP Glovebox

    In order to store moisture and air-sensitive reagents but also to prepare or even carry out reactions under inert atmosphere, our lab possesses its own glovebox, available at all time.

  • Mettler-Toledo EasyMax 102

    This equipment mimics industrial reactors on a small scale (few grams) and thus gives hints for optimising the process development of molecules such as pharmaceutical ingredients.

  • Mettler-Toledo Volumetric Karl-Fischer Titrator V10S

    This volumetric titrator allows to determine water amounts in solid or liquid samples.

  • Teledyne Isco Combiflash Rf200 (x3)

    These automated purification systems allow easier and quicker isolations of pure organic compounds.

Business & Innovation

Contact our expert team to start a collaboration or to ask for a solution.

  • Dr. Fernando Bravo Lara

    Knowledge and Technology Transfer, and Industrial Projects Manager
    Contact

  • Dr. Sergio Sopeña

    Business Development Manager
    Contact

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