Extremely fast gas/liquid reactions in flow microreactors: carboxylation of short-lived organolithiums

Abstract

Carboxylation of short-lived organolithiums bearing electrophilic functional groups such as nitro, cyano, and alkoxycarbonyl groups with CO2 to give carboxylic acids and active esters was accomplished in a flow microreactor system. The successful reactions indicate that gas/liquid mass transfer and the subsequent chemical reaction with CO2 are extremely fast.

Keywords: carboxylation; flow chemistry; lithiation; mass transfer; microreactors.