An Eight-Step Continuous-Flow Total Synthesis of Vitamin B1

Vitamin B1 is widely applied in the healthcare and food industry as an antineuritic and antioxidant to maintain the normal functioning of nerve conduction, the heart, and the gastrointestinal tract. This study reports on an integrated eight-step continuous-flow synthesis of vitamin B1 from commercially available 2-cyanoacetamide. The proposed continuous-flow process is based on advances in chemistry, engineering, and equipment design, and affords improved performance and safety compared with batch-mode manufacturing. Several challenges were precisely investigated and controlled, including mixing, unexpected clogging, solvent switches, an exothermic reaction, and the prevention of side reactions, using various micro-channel flow reactors, mixers, separators, and continuous filters. Vitamin B1 was produced with a separated yield of 47.7% and high purity, with a total residence time of about 3.5 h. This eight-step continuous-flow protocol enables technology involving up to six of the key principles of green chemistry. Hence, the application of flow technology is of paramount importance for improving security, reducing waste, and, in particular, improving the efficiency of batch operations that require several days for manufacturing.