The Diels-Alder reaction: doomed to academic praise only?

The Diels-Alder reaction is universally acknowledged for its atom-efficient and simple access to molecular complexity. This textbook example of a green reaction forms one of the most efficient routes towards six-membered rings. However, a large gap is noticed between the relevance and versatility in the academic world, implying a small scale, and industrial use. Obviously, the current developed Diels-Alder procedures are failing to make their way into industry. This perspective paper will gave a critical overview of the most important bottlenecks of Diels-Alder reactions. Flow chemistry, a key research area for green engineering, is a powerful tool to facilitate a safe transfer of Diels Alder processes to the industrial environment.