Flow Chemistry in Undergraduate Organic Chemistry Education

On the basis of already existing (batch-mode) experiments, novel experiments in flow reactors have been developed that are continuous (flow-mode), as analogous to many industrial processes. The new flow-mode experiments have been implemented as experiments in laboratory classes by designing new experimental protocols and incorporating them into existing courses. The flow-type reactions can be controlled easily and students can rapidly apply various reaction conditions and directly monitor the effect on the outcome of the reaction using either off-line or on-line analysis, which is not possible using current (batch-mode) equipment. This gives students a novel type of control over their experiments as they are “space-resolved”. The experiments using flow reactor technology consume much less solvents and chemicals. Students recognize the large impact on sustainability when performing reactions in flow reactors.