3D-printed devices for continuous-flow organic chemistry

Abstract

We present a study in which the versatility of 3D-printing is combined with the processing advantages of flow chemistry for the synthesis of organic compounds. Robust and inexpensive 3D-printed reactionware devices are easily connected using standard fittings resulting in complex, custom-made flow systems, including multiple reactors in a series with in-line, real-time analysis using an ATR-IR flow cell. As a proof of concept, we utilized two types of organic reactions, imine syntheses and imine reductions, to show how different reactor configurations and substrates give different products.

Keywords

• 3D printing
• flow chemistry
• flow IR
• in-line analysis
• imine reduction
• imine synthesis
• millifluidics
• reactionware