Challenges Arising from Continuous-Flow Olefin Metathesis

The versatility of olefin metathesis is evident from its successful applications ranging from natural product synthesis to the valorization of renewable feedstocks. On the other side, flow chemistry has recently gained particular interest among the synthetic community, offering valuable alternatives to classic batch chemistry and paving the way to the development of new transformations. The application of continuous-flow methods to olefin metathesis represents one of the most promising evolutions in the field at the interface of industrially relevant synthesis and reactor engineering, significantly improving some of the typical problems such as undesired self-reactions and ethylene-mediated catalyst deactivation. This Minireview aims to provide a brief survey covering the major aspects of those techniques which we hope may be of interest for the chemical community as well as those interested in catalysis, continuous processing, enabling technologies and reactor design.

Automated summary

This article introduces the versatility of olefin metathesis and its successful applications in natural product synthesis and the valorization of renewable feedstocks. In addition, flow chemistry has gained significant interest as a valuable alternative to traditional batch chemistry and has paved the way for new transformations. The article highlights the promising application of continuous-flow methods in olefin metathesis, addressing typical issues such as undesired self-reactions and ethylene-mediated catalyst deactivation.