A convenient and selective way of forming a carbon-carbon double bond is through the Wittig reaction and its modifications. Although easily performed in batch, the Wittig reaction could be incorporated in a total synthesis using continuous flow.

Wittig reaction to form tert-Butyl cinnamate

As a feasibility study, FutureChemistry has translated this reaction from a batch process to a continuous flow process. FutureChemistry’s typical three-tier approach led to a protocol which can be adapted to any viable substrate:

      1) Translation of batch process to continuous flow process:
           a) Stock solutions approach, yielding a homogeneous reaction mixture.
           b) Quenching solution to follow the reaction in time.
           c) Flow markers approach to accurately assess reaction parameters.
      2) Automated reaction optimisation.
      2) Automated reaction optimisation.
      3) Out scaling to preparative synthesis

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