Lamaty employs Uniqsis FlowSyn Multi-X system to achieve efficient ring closing olefin metathesis

Uniqsis has published details of a new flow-through protocol developed by the Lamaty Group at Universite de Montpellier (France) on a FlowSyn™ Multi-X system that provides efficient ring closing olefin metathesis.

Ring closing metathesis reaction

Olefin metathesis is an important reaction that provides a useful synthetic route to highly functionalized molecules such as drug precursors or polymers. Although this reaction is highly efficient in batch, scaling-up usually results in poor reproducibility. While several research groups have reported the development of olefin metathesis in continuous flow, most of them have focused on the use of a heterogeneous catalyst, which currently show limited recyclability.

Application Note 31 describes how the Lamaty Group (http://www.greenchem.univ-montp2.fr/page8/page15/FL.html), employing a Uniqsis FlowSyn™ Multi-X flow chemistry system, has achieved use of a homogeneous catalyst in an environmentally-friendly solvent, to bring ring closing metathesis of olefins one step closer to scale-up at the industrial level. In the application note the authors demonstrate how this reaction system is well suited for continuous flow implementation as short reaction times, elevated temperatures and high conversion can be achieved while using dimethyl carbonate as a solvent.

The Uniqsis FlowSyn™ is a compact integrated continuous flow reactor system designed for easy, safe and efficient operation. The FlowSyn™ range includes models for performing single or multiple homogeneous or heterogeneous reactions, either manually or automatically. The range of chemistries that can be explored with Uniqsis’ integrated and modular flow chemistry systems grows ever wider and is exemplified by the growing number of applications published both in the academic press and in Uniqsis’ own application notes. Typical examples of flow chemistry applications include hydrogenation, nitration, bromination, metalation, molecular rearrangements and synthesis of compounds suchas dihyropyridine, indole, pyrazole, quinolinone and benzimidazole.

Uniqsis specialises in the design of meso-scale continuous flow chemistry systems for a wide range of applications in chemical and pharmaceutical research. The company’s aim is to make flow chemistry easily accessible to both novices and experienced users.