INTRODUCTION
OBJECTIVE AND PURPOSE OF THIS REPORT
This report focuses on the technology of combinatorial chemistry and the
materials that are being developed with this technology. Combinatorial chemistry
has become a well-established technique in the biotech/pharmaceutical industry,
and it is clear that this technology is having an impact on the field of
materials. There have already been some qualified successes using this
technology to develop new materials, and there is little doubt that more
materials will be developed with this technology in the future.
Over the course of the twentieth century, more new materials have been
discovered and used in applications than were in the previous millennia.
Consequently the importance of chemistry and materials science increased
dramatically as well, and most people take advancements in these fields as a
matter of course, rather than of wonder. Surprisingly however, the tools of
chemistry, the key science to producing and characterizing these new materials,
has altered little over the century with the obvious exception of the s used to
probe molecular structure. In many ways, a chemist from the turn of the 20th
century would feel right at home in the modern laboratory with the familiar
flasks, burets, and burners that have changed little since then. Combinatorial
chemistry for materials or high-speed experimentation is changing this
perception. This technology is aimed at altering the workflow and the tools in
the modern laboratory. With these new tools have come new approaches to doing
research, and the hope that the pace of discovery may increase.
Combinatorial chemistry is technology aimed at research, and is intended to
alter the research paradigm. Over the course of the past century, thesis-driven
research has been remarkably successful at translating fundamental discoveries
into new molecules and products. However, before the rise of thesis-driven
research, the Edisonian approach had also been quite successful in developing
products with enormous commercial impact. Today, Edisonian research has largely
been eclipsed by thesis-driven research, but the tools of high-speed
experimentation may alter the balance. Like so many other aspects of technology,
the advent of inexpensive, nearly inexhaustible computing power has made
problems in materials science that seemed impossible to tackle 10 years ago,
readily accessible to off-the-shelf technology. The transformation so
commonplace in many fields, of changing art into science, has begun to occur in
chemistry and materials as well.
The first company to translate the ideas developed in combinatorial chemistry
used in pharmaceuticals to the materials arena is Symyx. This is a young company
less than five years old, but it is already the acknowledged leader in
combinatorial materials. Symyx no longer has the field all to itself, though;
several independent companies and joint ventures have been formed to
commercialize this technology. Other major firms have been lining up to purchase
the technology used for this research, so it is clear that this technology has
already made an impact.
While combinatorial chemistry for materials can have some very lofty goals of
changing the way research is done in most aspects of chemistry and materials,
businesses do not function on pie in the sky. Therefore, chemical firms and
materials firms have lined up some targets in specific products including
catalysts, electronic and optical materials, and polymers. This report covers
the research expenditures using high-speed experimentation in these fields, as
well as the possible markets for materials that may be developed using this
technology.
Armed with this information, readers with business interests can then make
sound judgments regarding marketing strategies, investment decisions, or
strategic plans concerning the technology of combinatorial materials. This
report has been written to be readily accessible to those readers with business
backgrounds, but accuracy concerning the technical aspects of combinatorial
materials has not been sacrificed.
REASONS FOR THIS STUDY
With any new technology there are always wildly contrasting opinions
concerning the likelihood of success and the applicability of the technology. On
one hand, some people think that the new technology will revolutionize the world
as we know it, and this revolution will happen in a remarkably short period of
time. On the other hand, more jaded souls insist that there is nothing new under
the sun. While there has been much ballyhoo in the popular press concerning the
wonders of combinatorial materials, it is difficult to get solid information on
the quantities of materials being produced and sold which were developed with
this technology. Furthermore, many articles have presented wildly misleading
information concerning the technology of combinatorial materials, their markets
and applications. This report offers a timely picture of trends in combinatorial
materials, information that cannot be obtained from other sources.
CONTRIBUTION OF THE STUDY
This report shows the current and the future research expenditures of
high-speed experimentation. This report also covers the current (negligible) and
future markets for the materials developed with this technology. Since the U.S.
Probably will become the dominant user of this technology, and is one of the
largest markets for new materials worldwide, this report focuses heavily on
trends in the U.S. However, research in combinatorial chemistry is global, and
will remain so for the future. Many of the firms involved in this technology are
large multinationals; thus this business is certainly international in scope.
Readers of this report will be able to distinguish between the hype concerning
uses of combinatorial chemistry and the reality of the market. Many press
accounts of the applications of combinatorial chemistry have presented a very
misleading picture; this report will allow readers to draw more accurate
conclusions about the status of combinatorial chemistry now and in the next few
years.
SCOPE AND FORMAT
To generate the information necessary to construct a reasonable future market
for the technology of combinatorial chemistry, it is necessary to take a
hardheaded look at the potential advantages and pitfalls of this technology
compared with more traditional research methodology. This report uses a metric
of dollars to compare research being done with traditional technology to
research being performed with combinatorial technology. This report also covers
the materials that may be discovered using this technology. This report does not
delve into the likelihood of markets based on exotic new materials that have yet
to be discovered; instead, it is restricted to possible replacements of existing
materials discovered by conventional technology by materials developed using
combinatorial technology. Given the wide variety of materials that may be
affected by this technology, this report uses the metric of dollars throughout.
This report categorizes three types of materials being researched with
high-speed experimentation.
Catalysts: Catalysts can be either organic or inorganic compounds, and are
widely used in materials production processes. There are four major markets for
catalysts: polymers, petroleum refining, fine chemicals, and environmental
applications.
Electronic and optical materials: These materials are used in the production
of microprocessors and other electronic goods. Optical materials' largest market
has become telecommunications over the past decades. Both of these fields have
large research and development efforts driven by high rates of growth and a
rapid pace of technological change. This report delves into the demand for new
materials in these markets.
Polymers: These goods are widely used throughout the economy. Combinatorial
chemistry offers a way to make these goods less expensively either by developing
new catalysts, or by altering the properties of these materials so they are
suitable for new applications such as improved coatings.
The report is broken into six sections. First there is a technology overview,
which gives the broad details of combinatorial chemistry and a comparison to
more traditional research methods. Next, there is a combined economic analysis
for combinatorial chemistry coupled with an extensive description of the
industry that is developing and using this technology. This industry section
includes firms dedicated to developing new materials using combinatorial
chemistry, equipment manufacturers, and the firms that are employing
combinatorial chemistry to develop new products, along with company profiles.
Following this industry structure, there is a brief description of the
government and academic laboratories that have been doing extensive research in
combinatorial materials. Then there is a description of the research being done
using combinatorial chemistry by material type. After this products section,
there is a description of the markets for the materials being developed using
this technology, including future trends. The report concludes with a section on
patents that have been filed pertaining to combinatorial materials.
METHODOLOGY AND SOURCES OF INFORMATION
This report is the end result of five months of concerted effort by the
author. The primary information sources for this report were interviews with
several dozen people in industry, academe and the government. The author also
attended meetings and conferences, and much precious insight was gained from
these sources as well. Many of the people interviewed are recognized authorities
in the field, and provided invaluable assistance. I would like to thank all who
took the time to speak with me for their help with this project.
Since this study was not commissioned by any corporation or individual, the
author's brief in writing it was to be as objective as possible.
Secondary sources used for this report include a number of publications
issued by the federal government, including items on the Internet, corporate
literature, and publications in peer-reviewed literature.
Any time an estimate for a number has been made, the underlying assumptions
are discussed. Thus, if a reader chooses to interpret the raw data in a
differing manner, it is possible to do so. Dollar amounts are in constant 2000
dollars, and average annual growth rates (AAGRs) are calculated using standard
tables.
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