Flash vacuum pyrolysis (FVP) is a technique in

organic synthesis Organic synthesis is a special branch of chemical synthesis and is concerned with the intentional construction of organic compounds. Organic molecules are often more complex than inorganic compounds, and their synthesis has developed into one o ...

. It entails heating a precursor molecule intensely and briefly. Two key parameters are the temperature and duration (or residence time), which are adjusted to optimize yield, conversion, and avoidance of intractable products. Often the experiment entails volatilizing a precursor, which is drawn through a "hot zone" followed by rapid condensation. The apparatus typically is conducted under dynamic vacuum. The hot zone must impart heat to the gaseous molecules, so it is generally packed with solids to induce gas-solid collisions. The packing material is generally chemically inert, such as quartz. The precursor (i) volatilizes with gentle heating and under vacuum, (ii) the precursor fragments or rearranges in the hot zone, and finally (iii) the products are collected by rapid cooling. Rapid post-reaction cooling and the dilution inherent in gases both suppress bimolecular degradation pathways.

Examples

The technique is applied to conversions that proceed via unimolecular pathways. 2-Acetoxy dioxane, when heated at 425 °C converts to the highly reactive dioxene, via loss of

acetic acid Acetic acid , systematically named ethanoic acid , is an acidic, colourless liquid and organic compound with the chemical formula (also written as , , or ). Vinegar is at least 4% acetic acid by volume, making acetic acid the main componen ...

. 2-Furonitrile has been prepared by flash-dehydration of 2-furoic acid amide or oxime over molecular sieves. The

strained ring In organic chemistry, ring strain is a type of instability that exists when bonds in a molecule form angles that are abnormal. Strain is most commonly discussed for small rings such as cyclopropanes and cyclobutanes, whose internal angles are su ...

benzocyclobutenone has been prepared by FVP from a simple benzoyl chloride precursor. BenzoCyclobutanoneFVP

References

{{Reflist Pyrolysis Organic reactions Chemical processes