Microfluidic synthesis of chiral salen Mn(ii) and Co(ii) complexes containing lysozyme

Efficient microfluidic synthesis of chiral salen Mn(ii) and Co(ii) complexes containing lysozyme was achieved. The reaction conditions for the delicate protein were controlled precisely with a separation barrier in the microfluidic device. The microfluidic method has the following advantages over the conventional method: a remarkable reduction in the reaction time from 4.5 h to less than 1 s for the synthesis of Mn(ii) and Co(ii) complexes, a reduction in the reaction temperature from 40 to 23 °C, and no need for an N₂ atmosphere because all the reagents are isolated from the air. A three-fold yield improvement was achieved for Mn(ii) and Co(ii) complexes containing lysozyme compared with conventional synthesis.