The integration of flow reactors into synthetic organic chemistry

The material presented in this review is based upon discussions and interactions with members of the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry within the University of Windsor, Ontario, Canada. This article explores the changing face of chemical synthesis with regard to the impact of flow based chemical processing technologies. Highlighted works from the Innovative Technology Centre (ITC), Cambridge, UK, are used to illustrate the alternative synthetic practices available to modern research chemists. The dominant theme of the review is the synergistic effects encountered by combining the advantages of continuous processing regimes with the power of immobilized reagents and scavenger systems for multi‐step organic chemistry. © 2012 Society of Chemical Industry