Abstract
The title book is the 7th in the RSC Green Chemistry Series that combines two green chemical disciplines, microwave (MW)-assisted reactions and the use of water as a medium for organic reactions. Thus, the selection covers a real hot topic in environmentally-friendly chemistry. To help the understanding of the content, the first chapter clarifies the fundamentals in respect of water as the solvent and the possible roles of MW, especially in catalytic reactions. Chapter 2 summarizes metal-catalyzed reactions (such as substitutions, additions, isomerizations, cyclizations, oxidations and reductions, etc.) in water under MW conditions. It is valuable that representative experimental procedures are also provided. The next chapter gives an overview on MW-assisted aqueous C–C couplings, such as the Suzuki-Miyaura reaction, the Heck reaction, the Sonogashira reaction, the Stille reaction and others, again with experimental details. Chapter 4 reveals how potentially bio-active N-, O- and S-heterocycles can be synthesized in water as the reaction medium on MW irradiation. The detailed procedures involve a few typical cases. Then, MW-assisted enzymatic reactions are discussed in water as the medium, and also in the presence of organic solvents or ionic liquids as additives. Besides an outlook on biocatalysis, a few well-selected examples promote the understanding. Chapter 6 includes a summary on the MW-promoted synthesis of polymers in aqueous medium. The reactions include radical, step-growth and cationic polymerizations. The detailed experiments include, among others, emulsion polymerizations, the synthesis of polyethers, nanoparticles and nanocomposites. The last chapter is a continuation of the previous one in discussing the MW-assisted aqueous medium synthesis of gold, silver, palladium, platinum, titania, ZnO and ferrite nanoparticles, some of them in detail. The use of nanoparticles as catalysts is also demonstrated. The book, written by MW experts in actual hot topics, is suggested to chemists, biochemists, chemical engineers and researchers including also PhD-, graduate- and undergraduate students.
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