DATE2025.12.30 #Press Releases
From Flask to Pipeline: An Innovative Continuous Production Process for Agrochemicals that Redefines Conventional Chemical Synthesis
-Achieving a Previously “Impossible” Chemical Transformation toward Sustainable Agriculture and Manufacturing-
Summary
A research team led by Project Professor Shu Kobayashi, Project Professor at the Project Organization for Global Initiatives, The University of Tokyo, and Project Professor Haruro Ishitani, at the Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, has successfully developed a highly efficient continuous-flow synthesis of a key intermediate for the globally important fungicide tetraconazole.
Unlike conventional batch synthesis, which relies on mixing reactants in a vessel, the new method produces the compound by continuously flowing reactants through a reactor system.
Remarkably, a reaction long regarded as “difficult” due to the formation of numerous by-products in batch processes exhibited near-complete selectivity for the desired product simply by switching to a flow process. This unexpected phenomenon—representing a reversal of conventional reaction selectivity—challenges long-standing assumptions in chemical synthesis.
The researchers demonstrated that this seemingly “magic-like” behavior originates from a heterogeneous catalyst reactor installed within the flow pathway. Using real-time monitoring with a compact high-temperature superconducting NMR spectrometer, they directly observed the reaction as it proceeded inside the flow system, providing clear mechanistic insight.
This achievement represents a compelling proof of concept for green and sustainable chemistry, simultaneously reducing chemical waste and improving energy efficiency—two critical challenges in the industrial production of pharmaceuticals and agrochemicals. The study highlights the transformative potential of flow chemistry for more sustainable manufacturing in agriculture and beyond.
Figure：Heterogeneous Catalytic Flow Synthesis System