ABSTRACT
Since its first description by Gedye et al. [1], the use of microwave
(MW) energy in chemistry rapidly spread, and MW ovens are now
usual tools that can be found in most modern laboratories [2-
6]. The unique features of MW heating are yield enhancement, a
decrease in the reaction time, and in most cases better purity of
obtained products. All these aspects explained that it was studied
in all areas of organic chemistry [7-13]. But the use of MW energy
has not been restricted to synthesis of organic compounds and its
development went far beyond organic chemistry. The use of MWs
gradually democratized itself in several scientific areas, and it is now
a commonmethodology in domains as different as protein digestion
as mining and metallurgy processes [14-19]. This progress was of
course concomitant with the development of dedicated equipment
specifically designed for MW reactions, and now the kitchen MW
ovens used in the beginning have been replaced by proper materials
that could allow for perfect control of reaction parameters and for
scaling up [20].
