Apparatus for diverse chemical synthesis using two-dimensional array

A chemical synthesis apparatus for building chemical compounds by sequentially adding chemical units in a liquid reagent, said apparatus comprising:

• a head assembly having an array of nozzles comprising nozzle rows and nozzle columns, mounted thereto in generally spaced-apart relation, all nozzles being coupled to a different reservoir of liquid reagent for controlled delivery therethrough, said nozzle columns being independently movable,
• sliders for individual moving support of said nozzle columns;
• a base assembly having a plurality of reaction wells and including an upper orifice extending into each reaction well, each said reaction well additionally having a lower orifice being of size and dimension to form a capillary liquid seal to retain deposited liquids in said reaction well, the base assembly and the head assembly being movable relative to one another in a first direction, the nozzle columns being movable in a second, perpendicular direction, the relative movement of the head assembly and the base assembly and the movement of the nozzle columns allowing delivery of any liquid reagent to any reaction well, and
• a plurality of seals positioned between said head assembly and said nozzle columns to form a seal therebetween.

A chemical synthesis apparatus for building a chemical compound by sequentially adding chemical units in a reagent solution, said apparatus comprising:

• a base assembly defining a plurality of reaction wells aligned in an array of spaced-apart reaction well rows and reaction well columns;
• a head assembly having an array of nozzles aligned in a plurality of nozzle rows and nozzle columns, spaced apart by a distance substantially similar to the spacing between said reaction well rows and reaction well columns for alignment therebetween, said nozzle columns being independently movable to reposition their nozzles over different rows of reaction wells, each nozzle being coupled to one reservoir of a plurality of independent reagent reservoirs each including a different liquid reagent for selective, sequential and controlled delivery to and reaction well in a predetermined manner through a respective nozzle, and a plurality of sliders for individual moving support of said nozzle columns,
• the head assembly and base assembly being relatively movable so that each nozzle can be aligned with any reaction well, and
• a plurality of seals positioned between said head assembly and said nozzle columns to form a seal therebetween.

A method of synthesis of a chemical compound in a synthesis apparatus by sequentially adding chemical units thereto, said synthesis apparatus including a head assembly having a plurality of nozzles mounted thereto in generally spaced-apart relation, each nozzle being coupled to a reservoir of liquid reagent for controlled delivery therethrough, a base assembly having a plurality of reaction wells, a sliding seal positioned between said head assembly and said base assembly to permit relative movement therebetween, and enclosing both said reaction well and said nozzles therein to form a common chamber, and a second sliding seal positioned between the nozzles and the head assembly, said method comprising the steps of:

• A) aligning a reaction well and a selected one nozzle in a lateral X-direction through a transport mechanism coupled to at least one of said head assembly and said base assembly to produce relative movement therebetween;
• B) aligning said reaction well and a selected one nozzle in a longitudinal Y-direction through a moveable slider holding said selected one nozzle, and coupled to said head assembly to produce relative motion between said slider and said head assembly;
• C) depositing a liquid reagent into said well from said reagent reservoir through said one nozzle to enable synthesis of a chemical compound;
• and
• D) purging gaseous fumes or reaction by-products, emitted by said reagents, from said common chamber through passage of a gas from a pressurized gas source, coupled to an inlet into said common chamber and positioned upstream from said nozzles, and out of said chamber through an outlet out from said common chamber and positioned downstream from said nozzles,
• E) expelling said deposited liquid reagent from said well through an exit orifice of said well by applying a first gas pressure to said common chamber such that a pressure differential between said first gas pressure and second gas pressure exerted on said exit of said orifice exceeds a predetermined amount necessary to overcome a capillary liquid seal formed between said liquid reagent and orifice to retain said liquid reagent in said well, and
• F) repeating steps A-E to form at least one chemical compound from various chemical units.