Improving Productivity of Multiphase Flow Aerobic Oxidation Using a Tube-in-Tube Membrane Contactor

A comprehensive review of flow chemistry techniques tailored to the flavours and fragrances industries

Due to their intrinsic physical properties, which includes being able to perform as volatile liquids at room and biological temperatures, fragrance ingredients/intermediates make ideal candidates for continuous-flow manufacturing. This review highlights the potential crossover between a multibillion dollar industry and the flourishing sub-field of flow chemistry evolving within the discipline of organic synthesis. This is illustrated through selected examples of industrially important transformations specific to the fragrances and flavours industry and by highlighting the advantages of conducting these transformations by using a flow approach. This review is designed to be a compendium of techniques and apparatus already published in the chemical and engineering literature which would constitute a known solution or inspiration for commonly encountered procedures in the manufacture of fragrance and flavour chemicals.

Pt-Catalyzed selective oxidation of alcohols to aldehydes with hydrogen peroxide using continuous flow reactors

The oxidation of alcohols to aldehydes is a powerful reaction pathway for obtaining valuable fine chemicals used in pharmaceuticals and biologically active compounds. Although many oxidants can oxidize alcohols, only a few hydrogen peroxide oxidations can be employed to continuously synthesize aldehydes in high yields using a liquid-liquid two-phase flow reactor, despite the possibility of the application toward a safe and rapid multi-step synthesis. We herein report the continuous flow synthesis of (E)-cinnamaldehyde from (E)-cinnamyl alcohol in 95%-98% yields with 99% selectivity for over 5 days by the selective oxidation of hydrogen peroxide using a catalyst column in which Pt is dispersed in SiO2. The active species for the developed selective oxidation is found to be zero-valent Pt(0) from the X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy measurements of the Pt surface before and after the oxidation. Using Pt black diluted with SiO2 as a catalyst to retain the Pt(0) species with the optimal substrate and H2O2 introduction rate not only enhances the catalytic activity but also maintains the activity during the flow reaction. Optimizing the contact time of the substrate with Pt and H2O2 using a flow reactor is important to proceed with the selective oxidation to prevent the catalytic H2O2 decomposition.

O2-Tuned Protein Synthesis Machinery in Escherichia coli-Based Cell-Free System

Involved in most aerobic biochemical processes, oxygen affects cellular functions, and organism behaviors. Protein synthesis, as the underlying biological process, is unavoidably affected by the regulation of oxygen delivery and utilization. Bypassing the cell wall, cell-free protein synthesis (CFPS) systems are well adopted for the precise oxygen regulation analysis of bioprocesses. Here a reliable flow platform was developed for measuring and analyzing the oxygen regulation on the protein synthesis processes by combining Escherichia coli-based CFPS systems and a tube-in-tube reactor. This platform allows protein synthesis reactions conducted in precisely controlled oxygen concentrations. For analysis of the intrinsic role of oxygen in protein synthesis, O2-tuned CFPS systems were explored with transcription-translation related parameters (transcripts, energy, reactive oxygen species, and proteomic pathway analysis). It was found that 2% of oxygen was the minimum requirement for protein synthesis. There was translation-related protein degradation in the high oxygen condition leading to a reduction. By combining the precise gas level controlling and open biosystems, this platform is also potential for fundamental understanding and clinical applications by diverse gas regulation in biological processes.

Catalytic Methods in Flow Chemistry

Continuous flow chemistry is radically changing the way of performing chemical synthesis, and several chemical and pharmaceutical companies are now investing in this enabling technology [...]