Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 16, 2025

A Scalable Balz-Schiemann Reaction Protocol in a Continuous Flow Reactor
Published on: February 10, 2023
Advances in Continuous Flow Fluorination Reactions
Tsz Chun Lee1, Yi Tong1, Wai Chung Fu1
1Department of Chemistry, City University of Hong Kong, Tat Chee Ave, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, China.
Abstract:
Fluorination reactions are important in constructing organofluorine motifs, which contribute to favorable biological properties in pharmaceuticals and agrochemicals. However, fluorination reagents and reactions are associated with various problems, such as their hazardous nature, high exothermicity, and poor selectivity and scalability. Continuous flow has emerged as a transformative technology to provide many advantages relative to batch syntheses. This review article summarizes recent continuous flow techniques that address the limitations and challenges of fluorination reactions. Approaches based on different flow techniques are discussed, including gas-liquid reactions, packed-bed reactors, in-line purifications, streamlined multistep synthesis, large-scale reactions well as flow photoredox- and electrocatalysis.
Related Concept Videos
Electrophilic Aromatic Substitution: Fluorination and Iodination of Benzene
Atomic Fluorescence Spectroscopy
Limitations of Friedel–Crafts Reactions

