Oxiranyl Anion Methodology Using Microflow Systems

Flowmicro In-Line Analysis-Driven Design of Reactions mediated by Unstable Intermediates: Flash Monitoring Approach

The direct observation of reactive intermediates is an important issue for organic synthesis. However, intermediates with an extreme instability are hard to be monitored by common spectroscopic methods such as FTIR. We have developed synthetic method utilizing flow microreactors, which enables a generation and reactions of unstable intermediates. Herein we report that, based on our flowmicro techniques, we developed an in-line analysis method for reactive intermediates in increments of milliseconds. We demonstrated the direct observation of the living and dead species of the anionic polymerization of alkyl methacrylates. The direct information of the living species enabled the anionic polymerization and copolymerization of oligo(ethylene glycol) methyl ether methacrylates, which is the important but difficult reaction in the conventional method.

Matteson Reaction under Flow Conditions: Iterative Homologations of Terpenes

The Matteson reaction is ideally suited for flow chemistry since it allows iterative homologation of boronate esters. The present study provides accurate data on reaction times of the individual steps of the Matteson reaction, which occurs in less than 10 s in total. The protocol allows terpenes to be (per-)homologated in a controlled manner to yield homo-, bishomo-, and trishomo-terpenols after oxidative workup. The new terpene alcohols are validated with respect to their olfactoric properties.

Continuous-Flow Reactions Mediated by Main Group Organometallics

The generation of reactive organometallic reagents in batch is often complicated by the low thermal stability of these important synthetic intermediates and can require low reaction temperatures and special reaction conditions. However, the use of continuous-flow setups and microreactors has led to a revolution in this field. In this short review, an overview is given of recent advances in this area, with a focus on the main group organometallics of Li, Na, and K.

Generation and Reaction of Functional Alkyllithiums by Using Microreactors and Their Application to Heterotelechelic Polymer Synthesis

Flow microreactors enabled the successful generation of various functional alkyllithiums containing electrophilic functional groups, as well as the use of these alkyllithiums in subsequent reactions. The high reactivity of these series of reactions could be achieved by the extremely accurate and selective control of residence time. Moreover, integrated flow microreactor systems could be used to successfully synthesize heterotelechelic polymers with two functionalities, one at each end, via a process involving controlled anionic polymerization initiated by functional alkyllithium compounds, followed by trapping reactions with difunctional electrophiles.

Anionic Polymerization Using Flow Microreactors

Flow microreactors are expected to make a revolutionary change in chemical synthesis involving various fields of polymer synthesis. In fact, extensive flow microreactor studies have opened up new possibilities in polymer chemistry including cationic polymerization, anionic polymerization, radical polymerization, coordination polymerization, polycondensation and ring-opening polymerization. This review provides an overview of flow microreactors in anionic polymerization and their various applications.

Alkyllithium Compounds Bearing Electrophilic Functional Groups: A Flash Chemistry Approach

Flash chemistry based on flow microreactor systems allowed alkyllithiums bearing electrophilic functional groups to be successfully generated and used for subsequent reactions. The series of reactions with high reactivity was achieved by extremely accurate control over residence time in a controlled and selective manner.

Control of tandem isomerizations: flow-assisted reactions of o-lithiated aryl benzyl ethers

We report a flow microreactor platform for controlling tandem isomerizations of o-lithiated aryl benzyl ethers based on precise residence time control.

Sequential double C–H functionalization of 2,5-norbornadiene in flow

An integrated one-flow synthesis of 2-bromo-2,5-norbornadienes bearing a functional group at the 3-position was achieved in 3 min.

Palladium-Catalyzed Negishi Coupling of α-CF3 Oxiranyl Zincate: Access to Chiral CF3-Substituted Benzylic Tertiary Alcohols

We report a Pd-catalyzed stereospecific α-arylation of optically pure 2,3-epoxy-1,1,1-trifluoropropane (TFPO). This method allows for the direct and reliable preparation of optically pure 2-CF₃-2-(hetero)aryloxiranes, which are precursors to many CF₃-substituted tertiary alcohols. The use of continuous-flow methods has allowed the deprotonation of TFPO and subsequent zincation at higher temperature compared to that under traditional batch conditions.

Flow microreactor synthesis of 2,2-disubstituted oxetanes via 2-phenyloxetan-2-yl lithium

A mild and sustainable synthesis of 2,2-disubstituted oxetanes has been achieved through the use of a flow microreactor system. By controlling the residence time a highly unstable intermediate such as 2-phenyloxetan-2-yl lithium can be generated and trapped with various electrophiles affording in moderate to good yields 2-substituted-2-phenyloxetanes at higher temperatures with respect to macrobatch-mode where –78 °C is required.

Benzyllithiums bearing aldehyde carbonyl groups. A flash chemistry approach

Reductive lithiation of benzyl halides bearing aldehyde carbonyl groups followed by reaction with subsequently added electrophiles was successfully accomplished.

Flash chemistry: flow chemistry that cannot be done in batch

Flash chemistry based on high-resolution reaction time control using flow microreactors enables chemical reactions that cannot be done in batch and serves as a powerful tool for laboratory synthesis of organic compounds and for production in chemical and pharmaceutical industries.

Continuous flow synthesis

This article provides a brief outline of continuous flow synthesis including the advantages of the flow method, serial combinatorial synthesis in flow, space integration of reactions, and reactions that cannot be done in batch to show that continuous flow synthesis will be a powerful and indispensable technology for pharmaceutical research and production.

Rearrangement reactions of lithiated oxiranes

The first computational study of the rearrangement reactions of oxiranes initiated by lithium dialkylamides is presented. Aside from the well-known carbenoid insertion pathways, both β-elimination and α-lithiation have been suggested as the exclusive mechanism by which oxiranes react in the presence of organolithium bases. The products of the former are allyl alcohols (and, in some cases, dienes) and are ketones in the case of the latter. The computational studies reported in this work indicate that both mechanisms could be simultaneously operational. In particular, our work shows that the allyl alcohols from β-elimination are unlikely to undergo 1,3-hydrogen transfer to the vinyl alcohols and thus to the ketones, suggesting that ketones are formed through the opening of the oxirane ring after α-substitution. Elimination of LiOH from the lithiated allyl alcohol is found to result in the diene product. Low activation barriers for β-elimination are offered as the explanation for the few special cases where the allyl alcohol is the dominant or exclusive product. These findings are consistent with the product distributions observed in several experiments.

Generation and Reactions of Pyridyllithiums via Br/Li Exchange Reactions Using Continuous Flow Microreactor Systems

A continuous flow microreactor method for generating and carrying out reactions on pyridyllithiums has been developed based on Br/Li exchange reactions of bromopyridines and dibromopyridines. The reactions can be carried out without using cryogenic conditions by virtue of short residence times and efficient heat transfer, while very low temperatures such as –78 or –110°C are required for conventional batch macro methods. Moreover, sequential introduction of two different electrophiles has been successfully achieved using dibromopyridines in an integrated flow microreactor system composed of four micromixers and four microtube reactors.