Capsaicin and its derivatives are special alkaloids responsible
for the pungency of spicy pepper fruits and are mainly used in the
pharmaceutical, food, and cosmetic industries. Until now, only batch
syntheses of capsaicin and some of its analogues have been described;
the drawbacks, such as long reaction time, variable yields, and chemical
waste emission, still challenge organic chemists to make progress
in environmentally friendly synthesis. In this study, we have developed
the first flow synthesis of capsaicin and its derivatives based on
three reaction steps, such as the oxime formation of benzaldehydes,
the reduction of oximes, and the N-acylation of benzylamines
with carboxylic acids. Each of the continuous flow reaction steps
was optimized by a model reaction, and after that, the reaction steps
were coupled in a semicontinuous flow system. Our developed flow method
is a safer, faster, more atom-efficient, and environmentally friendly
process than the batch approaches described in the literature; furthermore,
our method is in accordance with seven of the 12 principles of green
chemistry. In addition, 3D printed flow reactors have also been developed
and used for the flow synthesis of nonivamide to demonstrate an alternative
and cheaper way of flow chemistry.