Switchable Reactions for the Investigation of Reactive Mass Transfer Processes

Photochemical reactions of a diamidocarbene: cyclopropanation of bromonaphthalene, addition to pyridine, and activation of sp3 C-H bonds

We report unprecedented photochemistry for the diamidocarbene 1. Described within are the double cyclopropanation of 1-bromonaphthalene, the double addition to pyridine, and remarkably, the insertion into the unactivated sp3 C-H bonds of cyclohexane, tetramethylsilane, and n-pentane to give compounds 2-6, respectively. All compounds have been fully characterized, and the solid state structure of 4 was obtained using single crystal electron diffraction.

Photochlorination of toluene – the thin line between intensification and selectivity. Part 2: selectivity

The selectivity of the photochlorination of toluene was found to decrease under intensified conditions. This was traced back to the formation of a toluene–chlorine complex, that activates the ring upon irradiation and causes ring chlorination.

Photochlorination of toluene – the thin line between intensification and selectivity. Part 1: intensification and effect of operation conditions

Intensification of photochlorination of toluene in microstructured reactors by up to a factor of 10 was achieved, but also caused an unexpected decrease of selectivity. Dynamic irradiation suppressed side reactions and increased energy efficiency.