Proof-of-concept work has been done with microfluidics, in which continuous point-of-use synthesis from N-methyl-N-nitrosourea and 0.93M potassium hydroxide in water was followed by point-of-use conversion with benzoic acid, resulting in a 65 % yield of the methyl benzoate ester within seconds at temperatures ranging from 0-50 C . The yield was better than under capillary conditions; the microfluidics were credited with " suppression of hot spots, low holdup, isothermal conditions, and intensive mixing ."
12.
Secondly, I notice there isn't a lot in this workup that separates methyl benzoate and bromobenzene from the product . . . is it reasonable that they all get consumed to near completion ( I had an MP depression of about 5 C ); their BPs are really high but the product is a solid; maybe bromobenzene and methyl benzoate form an azeotrope that can be evaporated easily . . . ? ( But on a totally different scale than evaporating ether . ) Would acid-catalysed hydrolysis of the starting reagent into methanol and benzoic acid help significantly ? talk ) 04 : 22, 20 October 2009 ( UTC)
13.
Secondly, I notice there isn't a lot in this workup that separates methyl benzoate and bromobenzene from the product . . . is it reasonable that they all get consumed to near completion ( I had an MP depression of about 5 C ); their BPs are really high but the product is a solid; maybe bromobenzene and methyl benzoate form an azeotrope that can be evaporated easily . . . ? ( But on a totally different scale than evaporating ether . ) Would acid-catalysed hydrolysis of the starting reagent into methanol and benzoic acid help significantly ? talk ) 04 : 22, 20 October 2009 ( UTC)
