High-throughput synthesis of alkyl amides within a continuous flow reactor

Along with its prevalence within naturally occurring compounds, the amide functionality can also be found in many synthetic and semi-synthetic biologically active compounds such as Tamiflu and lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD). In addition to finding use as synthetic products, amides are in themselves synthetically useful precursors which can be dehydrated to nitriles, be converted to imines, using Vilsmeier-Haack conditions, and afford primary amines, with a carbon atom removed, via the Hofmann degradation. With these factors in mind, the synthesis of amides was investigated using Labtrix S1, the micro reactor development apparatus from Chemtrix, as a means of developing synthetic methodology suitable for the continuous flow production of amides.