Themed collection Recent Advances in Flow Synthesis and Continuous Processing

This work reviews efforts in the greatest challenge to operate microsystems: fouling and blocking.

Despite all the organic chemistry reaction methodologies already developed for the continuous-flow process, asymmetric synthesis is one that has gained less attention.

A review which highlights the current research employing copper-metal flow reactors in bench-top organic synthesis.

Flash chemistry based on high-resolution reaction time control using flow microreactors enables chemical transformations that cannot be done in batch.

Fragile Mitsunobu reaction can efficiently be performed under super-heating.

A microreactor/electrospray ionization MS coupling is introduced that allows us to observe and optimize polymerization reactions with respect to chain length and endgroup patterns in real time under synthesis conditions, which was not possible before.

Integrated two-step chemoenzymatic continuous flow process for the synthesis of protected cyanohydrins from aldehydes.

We report for the first time the use of a microfluidic supercritical antisolvent process (μSAS) to synthesize semiconducting polymer nanoparticles (NPs) of poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT).

A custom-built modular flow reactor featuring immobilized reagents in exchangeable cartridges has been developed.

An efficient nitro-Mannich type direct α-C(sp³)–H functionalisation of N-aryl-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinolines catalysed by simple iron salts in combination with O₂ as the terminal oxidant is described.

Flash chemistry enabled generation and reactions of short-lived α-(trifluoromethyl)vinyllithium, and the method was successfully applied to three-component synthesis of α-trifluoromethylamides.

Preparation of amides from low nucleophilic heterocyclic amines is achieved in 2 minutes under mild conditions.

Continuous, convergent/divergent synthesis of four anti-malarial APIs.

A fully continuous four step process for the preparation of β-amino acids from their corresponding α-amino acids utilizing the Arndt–Eistert homologation approach is described.

We present a microfluidic device integrating continuous flow reactions and separations on a single chip.

We have developed a rapid and automated microfluidic flow hydrogenation method as a viable tool for reducing functional groups and deprotection in the synthesis of PET radiotracers.

The efficient flow synthesis of important heterocyclic building blocks based on the 1,2,4-triazole and pyrrolo[1,2-c]pyrimidine scaffold has been achieved.

A polystyrene (PS)-supported 9-amino(9-deoxy)epi quinine derivative catalyzes Michael reactions affording excellent levels of conversion and enantioselectivity using different nucleophiles and structurally diverse enones under continuous flow conditions.

An immobilised iridium hydrogen transfer catalyst has been developed for use in flow based processing by incorporation of a ligand into a porous polymeric monolithic flow reactor.

A flow process to access oxazolines and oxazoles via a rapid and practical protocol is described.

Suzuki cross-couplings of 5-formyl-2-furanylboronic acid with activated or neutral aryl bromides were performed under continuous flow conditions in the presence of (Bu)₄N⁺F⁻ and the immobilised t-butyl based palladium catalyst CatCart™ FC1032™.

An efficient method for the C₃-glucuronidation of bile acids is developed under flow conditions.

Towards a continuous synthesis of the HIV protease inhibitor Atazanavir a key building block is prepared in a three step sequence.

A flow based synthesis of imatinib and analogues requiring minimal manual intervention.