Continuous flow technology-a tool for safer oxidation chemistry

• Li Wan^a
• Meifen Jiang^a
• Dang Cheng^a
• Minjie Liu^a
• Fener Chen^*ab

• ^aEngineering Center of Catalysis and Synthesis for Chiral Molecules, Department of Chemistry, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China
• ^bShanghai Engineering Center of Industrial Asymmetric Catalysis for Chiral Drugs, Shanghai 200433, China

The oxidation reaction is one of the most important transformations in synthetic chemistry, allowing for the introduction and modification of various functional groups. Continuous flow chemistry involving the use of channels or tubing to conduct a reaction has received a remarkable amount of attention in academia and industry. The technology provides reduced reaction times, higher selectivities, straightforward scalability, and the possibility to safely use hazardous intermediates and gaseous reactants. This review presents an up-to-date overview of oxidation chemistry using various oxidants in continuous flow microreactors. In addition, the advantages of using molecular oxygen as the most environmentally benign oxidant in photochemistry and biochemistry are discussed.

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