Towards resource efficient chemistry: tandem reactions with renewables

In an economically expanding world new sustainable concepts have to be developed in order to overcome growing problems of resource availability. Merging different Green principles is a promising concept in this respect, e. g. the combination of tandem reactions and renewables. This review summarizes the trends in this field and demonstrates advantages and future demands. Four reactions, namely metathesis, hydroformylation, defunctionalisation and isomerisation, have been identified for transforming renewables in tandem reactions. Every reaction yields a reactive intermediate or secures a tailored selectivity in order to use the natural molecular structure of renewables.