Flash synthesis of carbohydrate derivatives in chaotic microreactors

An efficient and rapid synthesis of carbohydrate derivatives was accomplished using a chaotic microreactor. The reactor shaped as split-and-recombine (SAR) structure which combines mixing mechanisms of both multi-lamination (diffusion) and chaotic advection to enhance mixing and reaction. Using two steps reaction process in SAR-microreactors, the carbohydrate derivatives, aldo-naphthimidazoles were generated by linkage of naphthalenediamine with mono-, di- or trialdoses in less than 10 s with satisfactory yield. The SAR-microreactor completes the process required just seconds (0.1–10 s), which was about 10−3–10−6 the duration for the macro flask. Within the same duration, the yield of the product formed from SAR-microreactors was also much enhanced than the T-shaped microreactors. The SAR-microreactor has a superiority to enable other chemical reactions quickly and economically.

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► An efficient and rapid synthesis of carbohydrate derivatives using a chaotic microreactor.
► The SAR-microreactor completes the reaction just seconds (0.1–10 s).
► The synthesis reaction in SAR-microreactor was 103–106 quicker than that in the macro flask.
► The yield of SAR-microreactors was much enhanced than the T-shaped microreactors.
► The SAR-microreactor enables other chemical reactions quickly and economically.