Johnson Matthey Catalysis and Chiral Technologi?es Expands Ligands Offer

Johnson Matthey's global Catalysis and Chiral Technologies technology business unit, JMCCT, which provides trusted expertise in heterogeneous, homogeneous, chiral and biocatalytic technologies for customers in the pharmaceutical, fine chemical and agrochemical industries, is expanding its existing specialty ligand manufacturing capability to include commercial-scale manufacturing up to 100 kg. The company has a diverse specialty ligands portfolio, and this expansion is largely focused on the Buchwald ligands from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology for customers throughout Europe, Asia and the US.

“The ability to offer Buchwald ligands from research through to commercial scale creates a unique, global position in the market that complements Johnson Matthey’s wide range of catalyst technologies,” commented Daren Bryce, Commercial Manager at Johnson Matthey Catalysis and Chiral Technologies. “Through our development, scale-up and manufacturing initiatives, Johnson Matthey is committed to providing the highest quality ligands that deliver value and efficiency to our customers.”

The Buchwald ligands offered by JMCCT are a class of bulky and electron-rich dialkylbiaryl monophosphine ligands, which are used for the in situ generation of active catalysts. These ligands are used for coupling reactions in the manufacture of both pharmaceuticals and specialty chemicals and are more commonly offered at a research scale for use in the laboratory.

The expansion will also complement JMCCT initiatives to continually create a stronger global supply chain. As Bryce further noted, “Three separate expansion investments have now been made, focused on a new facility in Taloja, India last year and further expansion underway in Royston, UK.”