Delivering enhanced efficiency in the synthesis of α-diazosulfoxides by exploiting the process control enabled in flow

Patrick G. McCaw¹, Benjamin J. Deadman¹, Anita R. Maguire^1,2, Stuart G. Collins¹

• ¹ Department of Chemistry, Analytical and Biological Chemistry Research Facility, Synthesis and Solid State Pharmaceutical Centre, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
• ² Department of Chemistry and School of Pharmacy, Analytical and Biological Chemistry Research Facility, Synthesis and Solid State Pharmaceutical Centre, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland

Continuous-flow generation of α-diazosulfoxides results in a two- to three-fold increase in yields and decreased reaction times compared to standard batch synthesis methods. These high yielding reactions are enabled by flowing through a bed of polystyrene-supported base (PS-DBU or PS-NMe2) with highly controlled residence times. This engineered solution allows the α-diazosulfoxides to be rapidly synthesized while limiting exposure of the products to basic reaction conditions, which have been found to cause rapid decomposition. In addition to improved yields, this work has the added advantage of ease of processing, increased safety profile, and scale-up potential.

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