Exploring the generation and use of acylketenes with continuous flow processes

The generation and use of reactive intermediates is well suited to continuous flow processing owing to the ability to scale up reactions, contain hazards and heat solvents past their atmospheric temperature boiling points. Herein we explore the chemistry of acylketenes, generated from commercially available 2,2,6-trimethyl-4H-1,3-dioxin-4-one (TMD, 10) under continuous flow conditions. The developed flow chemistry system is capable of permitting a wide range of applications of these acylketene intermediates, including access to equilibrating processes that result in ketone exchange. Some of the dioxinone products resulting from this study are destabilised towards acylketene generation, this is demonstrated through their ability to generate acylketene at lower reaction temperatures.