Lab-scale flow chemistry? Just do it yourself!

In the realm of flow chemistry, Do-It-Yourself (DIY) flow setups represent a versatile and cost-effective alternative to expensive commercially available reactors. Not only they are budget friendly, but also unlock a world of possibilities for researchers to explore and create customized setups tailored to their specific needs. This minireview serves as a short compendium of DIY flow systems to assist flow researchers in the challenging task of finding a suitable setup for their experiments and facilitate the transition from batch to flow chemistry. Our goal is to demonstrate that flow chemistry can be affordable, easy-to-build, and reproducible at the same time. Therefore, herein we review and describe selected illustrative examples of easily assembled/constructed DIY flow setups, with a particular emphasis on how to select the most suitable one based on the specific chemistry of interest, ranging from simple homogeneous monophasic reactions to more complex systems for photo-, electrochemistry, and so on. In addition, we briefly comment on the significance of DIY approach on education, particularly its integration into the standard undergraduate curriculum as a key educational tool for young chemists. Ultimately, we hope this mini review will help and encourage the reader to go with the flow and get started with the fine art of flow chemistry.

Graphical Abstract