Microwaves in cu-catalyzed organic synthesis in batch and flow mode

Copper catalysis has been regarded as a major contributor to the current developments and improvements in heterogeneous catalyzed organic syntheses. Especially, the fine-chemicals industry has been a target for implementation of these developments with respect to both scale and cost. This chapter addresses the major hurdles to combine microwave and flow-process technology in Cu-catalyzed organic syntheses. In comparison to gas-phase reactions, metal-catalyzed liquid-phase organic syntheses require different operational process windows to realize successful implementation of microwave and flow processing. The use of metallic catalysts under microwave irradiation provides an exceptional property of direct and rapid energy absorption at the spot of the chemical conversion. This unique characteristic, however, requires special attention regarding temperature control and energy distribution in a reactor. This chapter deals with several Cu-catalyzed chemical reactions under microwave irradiation in both batch and flow conditions, including the most recent developments reported in the literature.