Microwave-assisted C-C bond forming cross-coupling reactions: an overview

Among the fundamental transformations in the field of synthetic organic chemistry, transition-metal-catalyzed reactions provide some of the most attractive methodologies for the formation of C-C and C-heteroatom bonds. As a result, the application of these reactions has increased tremendously during the past decades and cross-coupling reactions became a standard tool for synthetic organic chemists. Furthermore, a tremendous upsurge in the development of new catalysts and ligands, as well as an increased understanding of the mechanisms, has contributed substantially to recent advances in the field. Traditionally, organic reactions are carried out by conductive heating with an external heat source (for example, an oil bath). However, the application of microwave irradiation is a steadily gaining field as an alternative heating mode since its dawn at the end of the last century. This tutorial review focuses on some of the recent developments in the field of cross-coupling reactions assisted by microwave irradiation.