Microwave Catalysis in Organic Synthesis

The objective of this chapter is to draw the attention of experimental organic and catalytic chemists to a new field of catalysis, especially to catalytic methods which use microwave irradiation as a new means of activation of chemical reactions, called microwave catalysis . It is intended to advise synthetic organic chemists about the choice of catalytic steps which might be more efficient than conventional synthetic methods. 

This chapter focuses exclusively on microwave heterogeneous catalysis. Microwave homogeneous catalysis by transition metal complexes is treated in Chapter 15, phase-transfer catalysis in Chapter 6 and photocatalytic reactions in Chapter 19. 

The development of microwave heterogeneous catalysis is, however, impeded because most synthetic chemists are not well acquainted with factors affecting both heterogeneous catalysis and microwaves. Although some attempts have been made to accelerate reaction rate or to improve yield and selectivity, they were based on the idea let s try microwaves and see what happens . 

Microwaves in Organic Synthesis, Second edition. Edited by A. Loupy Copyright 2006 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH Co. KGaA, Weinheim ISBN 3-527-31452-0 

Microwave catalysis is a catalytic process performed in the presence of a micro-wave (electromagnetic) field in which the catalyst acts as an energy convertor . It uses microwave irradiation to stimulate catalytic reactions. It is necessary to stress that any sort of electromagnetic or microwave radiation is not itself a catalyst, as has sometimes been erroneously stated [1]. Similarly, it is not correct to say that microwave irradiation catalyzes chemical reactions [1]. The principles of micro-wave catalysis will be described below. 

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Microwave Catalysis in Organic Synthesis 10.3.2.1 Reactions of Methane... 

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