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Flash vacuum pyrolysis of methyl N-methyl-N-nitrosoanthranilate leads to elimination of nitric oxide and disproportionation of the formed N-radical to 7-(methylamino)phthalide and methyl N-methylanthranilate. This transformation was found to be a convenient, solvent-free method for the preparation of 7-(methylamino)phthalides. An alternative route through pyrolysis of N-benzyl-N-methyl anthranilates was also investigated.

An in-depth study of the reaction of electrochemically generated trifluoromethyl radicals with aryl alkynes in the presence of water is presented. The radicals are readily generated by anodic oxidation of sodium triflinate, an inexpensive and readily available CF3 source, with concomitant reduction of water. Two competitive pathways, i.e. aryl trifluoromethylation vs. oxytrifluoromethylation of the alkyne, which ultimately lead to the generation of α-trifluoromethyl ketones, have been observed. The influence of several reaction parameters on the reaction selectivity, including solvent effects, electrode materials and substitution patterns on the aromatic ring of the substrate, has been investigated. A mechanistic rationale for the generation α-trifluoromethyl ketones based on cyclic voltammetry data and radical trapping experiments is also presented. DFT calculations carried out at the M06-2X/6-311+G(d,p) level on the two competing pathways account for the observed selectivity.

Continuous-flow production of chiral intermediates plays an important role in the development of building blocks for Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs), being α-amino acids and their derivatives widely applied as building blocks. In this work we developed two different strategies for the synthesis of intermediates used on the synthesis of levetiracetam/brivaracetam and ethambutol. The results obtained show that methionine methyl ester can be continuously converted to the desired ethambutol intermediate by RANEY® Nickel dessulfurization/reduction strategy whereas levetiracetam/brivaracetam intermediates could be synthesized by both RANEY® Nickel (without H2) and Pd/C-H2 approach or by photochemical desulfurization.

BrCCl3 represents a rarely used benzylic brominating reagent with complementary reactivity to other reagents. Its reactivity has been revisited in continuous flow, revealing compatibility with electron-rich aromatic substrates. This has brought about the development of a p-methoxybenzyl bromide generator for PMB protection, which was successfully demonstrated on a pharmaceutically relevant intermediate on 11 g scale, giving 91% yield and a PMB-Br space-time-yield of 1.27 kg L-1 h-1.

Non-fluorinated vinyldiazo compounds with trans-configuration irrespective of the nature of 3-R(1)-substituent (R(1) = H, Me, TBSO) even under ambient conditions easily cyclize to produce pyrazoles, while cis-stereoisomers undergo similar ring closure only at elevated temperatures or decompose to produce vinyloxocarbene reaction products. The 3-CF3-substituted analogues with cis- or trans-configuration do not produce pyrazoles at all, but on heating furnish only vinylcarbene derived products. DFT calculations of theoretical energy barriers adequately explain the different experimental reactivity found for stereoisomeric vinyldiazocarbonyl compounds, and a new model for their interconversion through the corresponding pyrazoles has been suggested.

The development of multistep continuous flow reactions for the synthesis of important intermediates for the pharmaceutical industry is still a significant challenge. In the present contribution the biaryl-hydrazine unit of Atazanavir, an important HIV protease inhibitor, was prepared in a three-step continuous flow sequence in 74% overall yield. The synthesis involved Pd-catalyzed Suzuki–Miyaura cross-coupling, followed by hydrazone formation and a subsequent hydrogenation step, and additionally incorporates a liquid–liquid extraction step.

Magnetic stirring in sealed cylindrical vessels designed for use in single-mode microwave instruments is typically less than optimal, and is not comparable to the efficient agitation that can be generally obtained in a round-bottomed flask fitted with a suitable magnetic stir bar or using overhead mechanical stirring systems. A new "vertical blade" stir bar design that improves the stirring performance in the very narrow, flow-constricting microwave vessels has been developed and evaluated for several different transformations where stirring and efficient agitation are known to be of importance. The better performance of these novel stirrers compared to the traditional cylindrical stir bar design is not only due to the geometry of the stirrer but also to the utilization of a magnetic material with a stronger magnetic transmission force (Sm2Co17) compared to standard ferrite or AlNiCo alloys. For all three tested cases involving solid/liquid, liquid/liquid and highly viscous reaction systems, the new vertical blade stirrers showed a distinctively improved performance resulting in higher conversions and/or product yields.

The mechanism of the Dakin-West reaction has been thoroughly investigated by monitoring the reaction using ESI-MS/MS techniques in combination with M06-2X/6-311++G(d,p) calculations. Several of the key intermediates in the previously proposed "azlactone" mechanism have been experimentally detected and characterized. In particular, interception of the mixed anhydrides involved in the early and late stages of the mechanistic scheme, as well as of the cyclic acyl-oxazolone intermediate, supports the original pathway suggested by Dakin and West. All intermediates and transition structures involved in several competing mechanisms have been calculated. The theoretical calculations support the experimental results and corroborate the proposed "azlactone" mechanism. The pathway involving the cyclic oxazolone ("azlactone") intermediate represents an energy barrier more than 3 kcal mol(-1) lower than for the competing aldol-type mechanism, thus ruling out this alternative mechanism. The DFT calculations explain the observed ESI-MS data and assess those intermediates which the experiments cannot fully elucidate.

The temperature profiles obtained from both an external infrared and internal fiber-optic sensor were compared for heating and synthesizing the ionic liquid 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium bromide (bmimBr) under microwave conditions. Utilizing a single-mode microwave reactor that allows simultaneous infrared/fiber-optic temperature measurements, significant differences between the two methods of temperature monitoring were revealed. Due to the strong microwave absorptivity of ionic liquids and the delay experienced in monitoring temperature on the outer surface of a heavy-walled glass vial, external infrared temperature sensors can not be used to accurately control the temperature in the heating of ionic liquids under microwave conditions. The use of internal fiber-optic probes allows the monitoring and control of the heating behavior in a much better way. In order to prevent the strong exotherm in the synthesis of bmimBr under microwave conditions the use of a reaction vessel made out of silicon carbide is the method of choice. Because of the high thermal conductivity and effusivity of silicon carbide, the heat generated during the ionic liquid formation is efficiently exchanged with the comparatively cool air in the microwave cavity via the silicon carbide ceramic.

It is demonstrated that microwave-assisted Diels-Alder reactions of substituted 2(1H)-pyrazinones with ethylene are significantly more effective utilizing pre-pressurized (up to 10 bar) reaction vessels.