Safe and facile evolution of diazomethane using the phase-vanishing method

Although diazomethane is a useful reagent, it is highly explosive and requires extremely careful handling. Herein, the phase-vanishing (PV) method, in which highly fluorinated solvents are used as a phase screen, was employed to produce diazomethane. An H-shaped reactor bearing two chambers was used. Specifically, diazomethane was gradually evolved under PV conditions in the first chamber and then con-sumed in the second chamber through several reactions, such as the methylation of carboxylic acids. This PV system is expected to enable the facile and safe generation of hazardous diazomethane for use in organic synthesis.& COPY; 2023 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

Although diazomethane is highly explosive, the phase-vanishing method using highly fluorinated solvents was employed to safely generate it for organic synthesis. A two-chamber reactor was used to gradually evolve and consume diazomethane under PV conditions, such as the methylation of carboxylic acids. This PV system provides a facile and safe method for the generation of hazardous diazomethane.