Propargyl amine synthesis catalysed by gold and copper thin films by using microwave-assisted continuous-flow organic synthesis (MACOS).

An effective multi-component reaction (MCR) protocol has been developed for the construction of propargyl amines from aldehydes, amines and terminal alkynes by using microwave-assisted continuous-flow organic synthesis (MACOS). The process is catalysed by thin films of either copper or gold that achieve temperatures in excess of 900 degrees C when irradiated with low levels of microwave power. The process works equally well for premixed solutions of the three starting materials, or as three separate streams, which improves the combinatorial efficiency of the method. The process tolerates a wide variety of functional groups and heterocycles, and conversion over these diverse substrates ranges from 70-90 %.