Microwave technology enables chemists to achieve cleaner and more efficient chemical reactions with higher yields, compared to conventional heating methods. Based on reaction conditions, organic synthesis reactions can be conducted in the following ways:

Benefits of Microwave Chemistry

Microwave radiation has proved to be a highly effective heating source in chemical reactions. Microwaves can accelerate the reaction rate, provide better yields and uniform and selective heating, achieve greater reproducibility of reactions, and help in developing cleaner and greener synthetic routes.

Environmentally-friendly Chemistry

Reactions conducted through microwaves are cleaner and more environmentally friendly than conventional heating methods. The use of microwaves has also reduced the amount of purification required for the end products of chemical reactions involving toxic reagents.

Greater Reproducibility of Chemical Reactions

Reactions with microwave heating are more reproducible compared to conventional heating because of uniform heating and better control of process parameters. The temperature of chemical reactions can also be easily monitored.

Processing of Radiopharmaceuticals

Microwave-assisted organic synthesis at an elevated pressure has been used in the pharmaceutical industry for the synthesis of radiolabelled chemicals or radiopharmaceuticals. During pre-clinical trials, these radiopharmaceuticals are used as tracers to generate a nuclear medical image. Positron Emission Tomography (PET) is a common technique used for the generation of nuclear medical images. The most critical aspect relating to radioisotopes is their decay time. The decay time of commonly used radioisotopes is given in here:

Half Life of the Isotopes of Some Common Elements Used in Radiopharmaceuticals

Element Half Life (in minutes)

Source: Microwave Applications in Radiolabelling with Short-lived Positron-Emitting Radionuclides

With so little decay time, radio pharmacists are always on the lookout for a method that can squeeze their production time. Microwave chemistry provides a solution to the radiopharmaceutical generation issue.