Flow chemistry provides a wide variety of advantages over performing synthesis in batch, including improved mixing and temperature control. I hoped to develop an asymmetric synthesis of alpha-functionalized aldehydes in flow which will draw from reactions previously optimized using our group methodologies. These compounds are important organic synthons that can be used to make products like alpha-hydroxy acids.

I also worked on synthesizing a variety of substrates for testing an N-heterocyclic carbene catalyst of our group's design.