Fluorous reaction systems

A method for carrying out a chemical reaction, comprising the steps of:

• forming an organic/fluorous solubilizing liquid phase comprising a solvent system, the solvent system adapted to substantially solubilize a fluorous reaction component, the fluorous reaction component functionalized to comprise at least one fluorous moiety having the formula (R).sub.d (Rf).sub.e, wherein (R).sub.d is an organic spacer group and may be present or absent and d is an integer equal to at least zero and (Rf).sub.e is at least one fluorous group and e is a whole number, the solvent system also being selected to substantially solubilize at least one organic reaction component convertible in the presence of the fluorous reaction component to a product;
• contacting the fluorous reaction component and the organic reaction component in the organic/fluorous solubilizing liquid phase under conditions suitable to produce the product;
• and
• after production of the product, causing a phase separation into a fluorous liquid phase and an organic phase, the fluorous reaction component comprising a sufficient number of fluorous moieties to render any excess of the fluorous reaction component and any fluorous byproduct of the fluorous reaction component preferentially partitionable into the fluorous phase.