Microwave assisted synthesis – a critical technology overview

Since 1986, when Gedye and Giguere published their first articles in Tetrahedron Letters on microwave assisted syntheses in household microwave ovens, there has been a steadily growing interest in this research field. Since the use of microwaves comprises more than the simple application of a goal-oriented, innovative tool, it is crucial to be aware of the fundamentals of chemistry in the microwave field before investigating challenging reaction mechanisms. Therefore, the following overview focuses mostly on reaction engineering in the microwave field. Parallel reactions and scale-up are also discussed. The last section of this review is dedicated to the development of experimentally sound protocols on microwave-assisted syntheses and separations, which are illustrated through experiments.