Heterogeneous Dipeptide-Catalyzed α-Amination of Aldehydes in a Continuous-Flow Reactor: Effect of Residence Time on Enantioselectivity

Site-Selective Acylation of Pyranosides with Immobilized Oligopeptide Catalysts in Flow

We report the site-selective acetylation of partially protected monosaccharides using immobilized oligopeptide catalysts, which are readily accessible via solid-phase peptide synthesis. The catalysts are able to invert the intrinsic selectivity, which was determined using N-methylimidazole, for a variety of pyranosides. We demonstrate that the catalysts are stable for multiple reaction cycles and can be easily reused after separation from the reaction solution. The catalysts can also be used in flow without loss of reactivity and selectivity.

Continuous flow asymmetric synthesis of chiral active pharmaceutical ingredients and their advanced intermediates

Catalytic enantioselective transformations provide well-established and direct access to stereogenic synthons that are broadly distributed among active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs). These reactions have been demonstrated to benefit considerably from the merits of continuous processing and microreactor technology. Over the past few years, continuous flow enantioselective catalysis has grown into a mature field and has found diverse applications in asymmetric synthesis of pharmaceutically active substances. The present review therefore surveys flow chemistry-based approaches for the synthesis of chiral APIs and their advanced stereogenic intermediates, covering the utilization of biocatalysis, organometallic catalysis and metal-free organocatalysis to introduce asymmetry in continuously operated systems. Single-step processes, interrupted multistep flow syntheses, combined batch/flow processes and uninterrupted one-flow syntheses are discussed herein.

Asymmetric Catalysis Mediated by Synthetic Peptides, Version 2.0: Expansion of Scope and Mechanisms

Low molecular weight synthetic peptides have been demonstrated to be effective catalysts for an increasingly wide array of asymmetric transformations. In many cases, these peptide-based catalysts have enabled novel multifunctional substrate activation modes and unprecedented selectivity manifolds. These features, along with their ease of preparation, modular and tunable structures, and often biomimetic attributes make peptides well-suited as chiral catalysts and of broad interest. Many examples of peptide-catalyzed asymmetric reactions have appeared in the literature since the last survey of this broad field in Chemical Reviews (Chem. Rev. 2007, 107, 5759-5812). The overarching goal of this new Review is to provide a comprehensive account of the numerous advances in the field. As a corollary to this goal, we survey the many different types of catalytic reactions, ranging from acylation to C-C bond formation, in which peptides have been successfully employed. In so doing, we devote significant discussion to the structural and mechanistic aspects of these reactions that are perhaps specific to peptide-based catalysts and their interactions with substrates and/or reagents.

Recent Advances in Continuous-Flow Enantioselective Catalysis

The increased demand for more efficient, safe, and green production in fine chemical and pharmaceutical industry calls for the development of continuous-flow manufacturing, and for chiral chemicals in particular, enantioselective catalytic processes. In recent years, this emerging direction has received considerable attention and has seen rapid progress. In most cases, catalytic enantioselective flow processes using homogeneous, heterogeneous, or enzymatic catalysts have shown significant advantages over the conventional batch mode, such as shortened reaction times, lower catalysts loadings, and higher selectivities in addition to the normal merits of non-enantioselective flow operations. In this Minireview, the advancements, key strategies, methods, and technologies developed the last six years as well as remaining challenges are summarized.

Reworking Organic Synthesis for the Modern Age: Synthetic Strategies Based on Continuous-Flow Addition and Condensation Reactions with Heterogeneous Catalysts

While organic synthesis carried out in most laboratories uses batch methods, there is growing interest in modernizing fine chemical synthesis through continuous-flow processes. As a synthetic method, flow processes have several advantages over batch systems in terms of environmental compatibility, efficiency, and safety, and recent advances have allowed for the synthesis of several complex molecules, including active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs). Nevertheless, due to several reasons related to the difficulties arising from byproduct formation during the flow process, such as lower yields, poor selectivities, clogging of columns due to poor solubility, catalyst poisoning, etc., successful examples of continuous-flow synthesis of complex organic molecules are still limited. In order to solve this bottleneck, the development of selective and atom-economical continuous-flow organic transformations are needed. This perspective highlights examples of atom-economical addition and condensation reactions with heterogeneous catalysts under continuous-flow conditions and their applications for the synthesis of complex organic molecules such as natural products and APIs. In order to realize new continuous-flow methodologies, based on addition and condensation reactions, in place of substitution reactions, the development of novel reactions and heterogeneous catalysts is required.

Multigram-scale flow synthesis of the chiral key intermediate of (-)-paroxetine enabled by solvent-free heterogeneous organocatalysis

The catalytic enantioselective synthesis of the chiral key intermediate of the antidepressant (-)-paroxetine is demonstrated as a continuous flow process on multi-gram scale. The critical step is a solvent-free organocatalytic conjugate addition followed by a telescoped reductive amination-lactamization-amide/ester reduction sequence. Due to the efficient heterogeneous catalysts and the solvent-free or highly concentrated conditions applied, the flow method offers key advances in terms of productivity and sustainability compared to earlier batch approaches.

Process Catalyst Mass Efficiency by Using Proline Tetrazole Column-Flow System

Generally, organocatalysts are not decomposed during chemical transformation, which is different from traditional metal catalysts. To improve catalytic processes efficiency, various studies have been applied to flow synthesis for organocatalysis. Furthermore, many immobilized organocatalysts have been used for heterogeneous flow synthesis, which requires huge amounts of immobilized catalyst and requires several steps to prepare. We took advantage of organocatalysts with low-polarity organic solvent and developed a flow system through a packed-bed column with simply proline tetrazole (5-(2-pyrrolidinyl)-1H-tetrazole) for heterogeneous organocatalytic synthesis. Under ambient temperature, this heterogeneous organocatalyst continuous flow-column system with ketones as a donor provides aldol, Mannich, and o-nitroso aldol reactions in up to quantitative yields with excellent enantio- and chemoselectivity values. Our heterogeneous-flow synthesis provides extremely low process catalyst mass efficiency and continuous production without changing the packed-bed catalyst column.

Chiral catalysts immobilized on achiral polymers: effect of the polymer support on the performance of the catalyst

Achiral polymeric supports can have important positive effects on the activity, stability and selectivity of supported chiral catalysts.

Silica gel-immobilized multidisciplinary materials applicable in stereoselective organocatalysis and HPLC separation

In this pilot study, we present novel bifunctional silica gel-immobilized materials applicable as heterogeneous organocatalysts and stationary phases in HPLC. The materials provided high stereoselectivity in both batch and continuous flow catalysis of a model Michael addition (cyclohexanone to (E)-β-nitrostyrene). In the batch reaction, the catalysts proved their sustainable catalytic activity over five consecutive recycling experiments. Under continuous flow reaction conditions, the catalytic activity was found to be superior to the batch reaction, and moreover, the same immobilized materials were utilized as stationary phases in HPLC showing very good chemoselective separation of model acidic analytes.

Novel multidisciplinary silica gel-based materials were successfully employed in highly stereoselective Michael addition and as stationary phases in HPLC separation.

The Hitchhiker's Guide to Flow Chemistry ∥

Flow chemistry involves the use of channels or tubing to conduct a reaction in a continuous stream rather than in a flask. Flow equipment provides chemists with unique control over reaction parameters enhancing reactivity or in some cases enabling new reactions. This relatively young technology has received a remarkable amount of attention in the past decade with many reports on what can be done in flow. Until recently, however, the question, "Should we do this in flow?" has merely been an afterthought. This review introduces readers to the basic principles and fundamentals of flow chemistry and critically discusses recent flow chemistry accounts.

High-performance monoliths in heterogeneous catalysis with single-phase liquid flow

On-line control and monitoring in heterogeneous catalysis utilizing high-performance supports allows rapid screening of intrinsic reaction parameters in continuous-flow mode.

Chemo- and Stereoselective Transition-Metal-Free Amination of Amides with Azides

The synthesis of α-amino carbonyl/carboxyl compounds is a contemporary challenge in organic synthesis. Herein, we present a stereoselective α-amination of amides employing simple azides that proceeds under mild conditions with release of nitrogen gas. The amide is used as the limiting reagent, and through simple variation of the azide pattern, various differently substituted aminated products can be obtained. The reaction is fully chemoselective for amides even in the presence of esters or ketones and lends itself to preparation of optically enriched products.

Harnessing the Versatility of Continuous-Flow Processes: Selective and Efficient Reactions

There is a great need for effective transformations and a broad range of novel chemical entities. Continuous-flow (CF) approaches are of considerable current interest: highly efficient and selective reactions can be performed in CF reactors. The reaction setup of CF reactors offers a wide variety of possible points where versatility can be introduced. This article presents a number of selective and highly efficient gas-liquid-solid and liquid-solid reactions involving a range of reagents and immobilized catalysts. Enantioselective transformations through catalytic hydrogenation and organocatalytic reactions are included, and isotopically labelled compounds and pharmaceutically relevant 1,2,3-triazoles are synthesized in CF reactors. Importantly, the catalyst bed can be changed to a solid-phase peptide synthesis resin, with which peptide synthesis can be performed with the utilization of only 1.5 equivalents of the amino acid.

Removing the superfluous: a supported squaramide catalyst with a minimalistic linker applied to the enantioselective flow synthesis of pyranonaphthoquinones

A new, cost-effective polystyrene-supported squaramide organocatalyst has been shown to mediate the highly enantioselective formation of pyranonaphthoquinones in flow through a sequential two-step process.