Electrochemistry has become an important tool for organic chemists as it allows to selectively functionalize molecules by tuning the applied voltage, without the addition of strong oxidant/reductant agents. As electrons are considered green reagents and not harsh conditions are generally involved, synthetic electrochemistry can be seen environmentally friendly. Although known for centuries, this technique has only recently become an intriguing possibility for scientists, and it gets explored more and more, due to modern technological advances.
In this sense, continuous-flow chemistry with its benefits (better heat- and mass transfer, higher productivity, etc.) can significantly contribute to the development of new more efficient transformations, also in a bigger scale. The combination of electrochemistry and continuous-flow technology could have a strong impact in synthetic chemistry, with important consequences for the industrial sets up too. In fact, the development of new electrochemical synthesis in flow is important as it might contribute to an industrial shift towards more efficient processes and thus to a more sustainable society.
Taking this in consideration, the aim of my project was to learn how to use the electrochemical microflow reactor to find and tune new reactivities. Although the first attempts were unsuccessful, I finally managed to optimize and develop the electrochemical azolation of arenes in flow, proving once more the great potential of electrochemistry in flow. Compared to other azolation methods, electrochemistry does not require neither metal nor organic catalyst; moreover, the reaction time can be reduced to 10 min in flow, instead of several hours in batch.
