Acid-mediated reactions under microfluidic conditions: A new strategy for practical synthesis of biofunctional natural products

Microfluidic conditions were applied to acid-mediated reactions, namely, glycosylation, reductive opening of the benzylidene acetal groups, and dehydration, which are the keys to the practical synthesis of N-glycans and the immunostimulating natural product, pristane. A distinctly different reactivity from that in conventional batch stirring was found; the vigorous micromixing of the reactants with the concentrated acids is critical especially for the “fast” reactions to be successful. Such a common feature might be due to the integration of all favorable aspects of microfluidic conditions, i.e., efficient mixing, precise temperature control, and the easy handling of the reactive intermediate by controlling the residence time. The microfluidic reactions cited in this review indicate the need to reinvestigate the traditional or imaginary reactions which have so far been performed and evaluated only in batch apparatus, and therefore they could be recognized as a new strategy in synthesizing natural products of prominent biological activity in a “practical” and a “industrial” manner.