This short review highlights compelling case studies from the last five years showcasing how modern flow technology has impacted and advanced synthetic chemistry in academia and industry.

Pentasubstituted aromatic rings serve as templates for drug design and can be conveniently prepared by the thermolysis of suitably substituted alkynes under microwave conditions.

A domino reaction has been used for the construction of lactonamycin derivatives. This research led to a comparison study between palladium-mediated cascade cyclisations and thermal alkyne [2+2+2] cyclisations. A palladium-mediated cyclisation of alkenyl bromides with alkynes and furans has been shown to furnish highly substituted aromatic rings. Penta- and hexasubstituted aromatic rings have also been prepared by the thermolysis of suitably substituted alkynes under microwave conditions. Tetrasubstituted pyridines can also be prepared using nitriles instead of alkynes. This work will provide a new and interesting array of drug templates; mechanistic details are discussed for both reaction series.

Pentasubstituted aromatic rings, useful templates for drug design, are prepared by thermolysis of suitably substituted alkynes under microwave conditions.

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