ABSTRACT
One of the two publications in 1986 reporting the rst organic transformation performed using microwave heating could also be considered as the rst report of a microwave-promoted inorganic reaction. The permanganate oxidation of toluene to benzoic acid was performed, and the redox reaction that occurred resulted in the conversion of KMnO4 into MnO2.1 Of course, this particular inorganic reaction is so common that it easily goes unnoticed despite the fact that it addresses the concerns some scientists had about the safety of heating metal compounds in a microwave appliance. This initial report and ensuing studies by other researchers have clearly shown that, under the proper conditions, a variety of metal-containing chemicals and even powdered metals themselves may be used as reagents and catalysts in microwave-promoted reactions. The number of journal articles describing the use of microwave heating for the preparation of inorganic and organometallic compounds is, however, a small fraction of the number of articles concerned with the microwave synthesis of organic compounds. As a result, ample opportunity exists for further research in this area of chemistry.
