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Updated: Apr 27, 2026

Efficient Synthesis of All-Carbon Quaternary Centers via the Conjugate Addition of Functionalized Monoorganozinc Bromides
Published on: May 26, 2019
Continuous flow synthesis of ketones from carbon dioxide and organolithium or Grignard reagents
Jie Wu1, Xiaoqing Yang, Zhi He
1Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, MA 02139 (USA).
Abstract:
We describe an efficient continuous flow synthesis of ketones from CO2 and organolithium or Grignard reagents that exhibits significant advantages over conventional batch conditions in suppressing undesired symmetric ketone and tertiary alcohol byproducts. We observed an unprecedented solvent-dependence of the organolithium reactivity, the key factor in governing selectivity during the flow process. A facile, telescoped three-step-one-flow process for the preparation of ketones in a modular fashion through the in-line generation of organometallic reagents is also established.
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