Automated synthesis: current platforms and further needs

Abstract

Organic synthesis is a vital process that is a mainstay of drug discovery. However, traditional manual-based approaches to organic synthesis might not be economical, especially in a research environment where budgets are increasingly restricted and the effective use of manpower and materials is crucial. Hence, there is a strong interest in automating the synthesis process, resulting in a growth in synthesis automation, especially of systems and configuration. Here, we systematically summarize recently developed automated systems for organic synthesis. This review will be useful for computational scientists aiming to develop novel tools and also for non-specialists and students to understand the frontier of automated synthesis.