Continuous-flow stereoselective organocatalyzed Diels-Alder reactions in a chiral catalytic "homemade" HPLC column.

Continuous-flow organocatalyzed Diels-Alder reactions have been performed with excellent enantioselectivity for the first time in a chiral "homemade" HPLC column, packed with silica on which a MacMillan catalyst has been supported by a straightforward immobilization procedure. The versatility of the system was also proven by running with the same column continuous-flow stereoselective reactions with three different substrates, showing that the catalytic reactor may efficiently work in continuo for more than 150 h; the regeneration of the HPLC column was also demonstrated, allowing to further extend the activity of the reactor to more than 300 operating hours.