Continuous in situ electrogenaration of a 2-pyrrolidone anion in a microreactor: application to highly efficient monoalkylation of methyl phenylacetate

Abstract

We have successfully demonstrated effective generation of an electrogenerated base (EGB) such as the 2-pyrrolidone anion and its rapid use for the following alkylation reaction in a flow microreactor system without the need for severe reaction conditions. The key feature of the method is effective and selective preparation of monoalkylated products.