An emerging reactor technology for chemical synthesis: Surface acoustic wave-assisted closed-vessel Suzuki coupling reactions

• Demonstrate the use of an energy-efficient surface acoustic wave (SAW) technology.
• Reactions carried out in a closed-vessel assisted by surface acoustic waves.
• Reactions were driven from the penetration of acoustic energy derived from SAWs via a renewable fluid coupling layer.
• Reactions achieved on a mmolar scale using low to ultra-low catalyst loadings.

In this paper we demonstrate the use of an energy-efficient surface acoustic wave (SAW) device for driving closed-vessel SAW-assisted (CVSAW), ligand-free Suzuki couplings in aqueous media. The reactions were carried out on a mmolar scale with low to ultra-low catalyst loadings. The reactions were driven by heating resulting from the penetration of acoustic energy derived from RF Raleigh waves generated by a piezoelectric chip via a renewable fluid coupling layer. The yields were uniformly high and the reactions could be executed without added ligand and in water. In terms of energy density this new technology was determined to be roughly as efficient as microwaves and superior to ultrasound.