Abstract

Continuous Flow Technologies: A Powerful Tool for the Development of Sustainable, Stereoselective Catalytic Reactions

Maurizio Benaglia, Full Professor of Organic Chemistry, Università degli Studi di Milano

The use of enabling technologies and continuous-flow systems are becoming more and more important in the synthesis of chiral APIs (active pharmaceutical ingredients). Organocatalytic reactions in (micro)-mesoreactors will be discussed, and compared with stereoselective catalytic in-flow reactions in 3D-printed reactors. The combination of organocatalysis and photochemistry can give access to molecules in one step which would otherwise be difficult to attain. Generally, the examples of asymmetric organocatalyzed photochemical reactions translated into continuous flow are rare. An efficient continuous flow photoredox reactor, that was incorporated as one unit of operation into the first fully telescoped, continuous asymmetric catalytic synthesis of a privileged API will be presented. A visible-light catalyzed cyclization of bis(enones) to afford enantiomerically enriched cyclopentane rings and a continuous flow approach to access alpha-trifluoromethylthiolated esters and amides starting from commercially available arylacetic acids will be also described.