Recent Advances in Microwave-Assisted Synthesis of Heterocyclic Compounds

Heterocyclic scaffolds represent the central framework of many biologically active compounds. The goal of this review is to present advances in the field of microwave-assisted synthesis of heterocyclic compounds that have been described in the literature since 1994. In particular, it focuses on reactions in which a heteroatom is directly participating in the bond forming process that gives rise to a heterocyclic core. The review is divided into two sections, cycloaddition and cyclization reactions, which are further classified according to ring type. These reactions are discussed from a synthetic standpoint with emphasis on comparison between microwave and conventional techniques.