Going with the µFlow: Reinterpreting Energy Input in Organic Synthesis
Laura Y. Vázquez-Amaya,
Guglielmo A. Coppola,
Erik V. Van der Eycken,
Upendra K. Sharma
Affiliations
Laura Y. Vázquez-Amaya
Laboratory for Organic & Microwave-Assisted Chemistry (LOMAC), Department of Chemistry, University of Leuven (KU Leuven), Celestijnenlaan 200F, B-3001, Leuven
Guglielmo A. Coppola
Laboratory for Organic & Microwave-Assisted Chemistry (LOMAC), Department of Chemistry, University of Leuven (KU Leuven), Celestijnenlaan 200F, B-3001, Leuven
Erik V. Van der Eycken
Laboratory for Organic & Microwave-Assisted Chemistry (LOMAC), Department of Chemistry, University of Leuven (KU Leuven), Celestijnenlaan 200F, B-3001, Leuven, Belgium; Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia (RUDN University), 6 Miklukho-Maklaya Street, Moscow 117198, Russia
Upendra K. Sharma
Laboratory for Organic & Microwave-Assisted Chemistry (LOMAC), Department of Chemistry, University of Leuven (KU Leuven), Celestijnenlaan 200F, B-3001, Leuven, Belgium
The popularity of microflow chemistry has skyrocketed in the last 20 years, more and more chemists are switching from macro-batch reactors to miniaturized flow devices. As a result, microfluidics is paving its way into the future by consolidating its position in organic chemistry not only as a trend but as a new, effective, and sustainable way of conducting chemistry, that clearly will continue to grow and evolve. This perspective highlights the most relevant examples of innovative enhancing technologies applied to microflow reactors aimed to improve and intensify chemical processes. The extensive applicability of microflow chemistry is further illustrated by briefly discussing examples of complex integrated microsystems and scale-up technologies, demonstrating ultimately that microflow chemistry has the potential to become the ideal technology for the future.
