Transition-metal catalyzed C-C couplings are important strategies in the production of APIs and other fine chemicals. In drug discovery, multiparallel couplings are used to synthesize structural analogues to initial lead compounds. This is done in order to study the structureactivity relationships, allowing researchers to screen for analogues with biological activities best suited for the target in question. The coupling of aryl boron species and aryl halides is known as Suzuki couplings, and Pd(II)-species are typically used as catalysts.
In this downloadable application note we demonstrate how Suzuki coupling reactions can be streamlined using rotating bed reactors (RBRs) to contain the heterogenous catalyst. The RBR is installed in the Mettler-Toledo EasyMax™ 102 Advanced Synthesis Workstation, and filled with the catalyst Pd EnCat® TPP30 by Reaxa Ltd.
With an RBR, the catalyst is protected entirely from degradation by mechanical forces. The work-up is thereby simplified, and the catalyst can be reused if desired. Do you have a catalytic application you would like to try? Get your own rotating bed reactor today: