Microwave-assisted organic synthesis scale

Komatsu K (2005) The Mechanochemical Solid-State Reaction of Fullerenes. 254 185-206 Kremsner JM, Stadler A, Kappe CO (2006) The Scale-Up of Microwave-Assisted Organic Synthesis. 266 233-278... 

A specialized application of microwave-assisted organic synthesis involves the preparation of radiopharmaceuticals labeled with short-lived radionuclides, particularly for use in positron emission tomography [70-72]. This represented an excellent application of microwave technology, where the products must be prepared quickly and in high radiochemical yield, on a small scale. 

Another synthesis technology which has just started to impact and change the way chemical synthesis is performed in many laboratories is microwave assisted organic synthesis. Using microwave reactors, reaction times often can be reduced from hours or days to minutes or even seconds. Selectivities and yields often can be increased drastically. Therefore, this technology has the potential to increase the output of chemical drug discovery units enormously. An important question in this field is how to scale up these transformations in microwave reactors up to kilogram scale. 

Microwave-assisted organic synthesis offers a very quick and direct route to intermediate quantities of material. When working on a large scale it is important to understand the mechanisms of microwave heating. When synthesis is designed correctly the microwave-assisted approach to scale is a safe and efficient tool for any chemist. 

Guillard, J., Schmitt, V., Dozias, M.J. and Besson, T. The scale-up of focused microwave assisted organic synthesis from the research to the pilot production scale, In Book of Abstracts, 216th ACS National Meeting, Boston, August 23-27, 1998, ANYL-114. 

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