The transfer of a Diels–Alder reaction of (cyclohexa-1,5-dien-1-yloxy)trimethylsilane 1 with α-acetoxyacrylonitrile 2 and acrylonitrile 8, respectively, from batch to continuous mode is presented,
using standard and widely available laboratory equipment. A standard
microwave-based system was used as probe for the transfer to flow
reactors. Temperature and residence time have been optimized in small
coiled-tube reactors and confirmed with two production runs in a flow
reactor. The inherent increase in safety caused by the small volumes
at high temperatures and the achieved productivity (approximately
100 g/h using acrylonitrile) are offering advantages over the batch
mode which suffers from thermokinetic limitations for scale-up.