Impact in continuous flow heated mechanochemical technology: An improved solketal synthesis

Abstract

Impact in Continuous flow Heated Mechanochemistry (ICHEM) was used for the production of solketal at 60 °C using glycerol and acetone in the presence of homogeneous FeCl₃.6H₂O (1 mol%). In our optimized conditions, the target compound was obtained in 96% yield (conversion of 97% and selectivity of 99%) with a productivity of 276 g day^–1 with a 80 mL continuous flow reactor. This new technology combines beads mechanochemistry and continuous flow and offers: (i) a better mixing of the two unsoluble parts (glycerol and acetone) by reducing the viscosity of the feed stream and (ii) an alternative of the single-screw and double-screw extruders which are unefficient with a liquid reaction media.

Graphical abstract