Highly efficient asymmetric paternò-büchi reaction in a microcapillary reactor utilizing slug flow

Abstract

An asymmetric Paternò-Büchi-type photoreaction between 2,3-dimethyl-2-butene and benzoylformic acid ester with a chiral menthyl auxiliary was studied in a continuous-flow microcapillary reactor. The fluorinated ethylene propylene (FEP) microcapillary reactor using normal one-layer flow mode gave oxetane products with better efficiency than the batch system. In addition, the slug flow mode in microcapillary reactor using inactive reagent, N2 gas or H2O, improved the reaction efficiency dramatically because of synergistic light dispersion, stirring and thin layer film effects. The reaction efficiencies under each condition were discussed as energy efficiencies calculated from reactors' parameters.