A microcapillary system for simultaneous, parallel microwave-assisted synthesis.

A continuous flow, microwave-assisted, parallel-capillary microreactor has been developed. Libraries of drug candidates were prepared on the milligram scale with this reactor by injecting plugs of reagents from separate syringes into common reaction capillaries, thereby producing discrete compounds in excellent yield and purity. Microwave irradiation provides the necessary energy that existing room-temperature microreactor technology lacks for higher activation barrier transformations, producing the required amounts of desired compounds in minutes or less.