Application of Microwave Irradiation in the Synthesis of Carbohydrates

Abstract Microwave activation as a non-conventional energy source has become a very popular and useful technology in organic chemistry. The heating effect utilized in microwave assisted organic transformations is due mainly to dielectric polarization, although conduction loses can also be important particularly at higher temperatures. Only dipolar and interfacial polarization are important factors in heating effects associated with microwave irradiation. The short reaction times and expanded reaction range offered by microwave assisted organic syntheses are suited to the increased demand of the chemical industry. There are two types of microwave reactions, solvent-free and solution-phase. Although microwave-assisted reactions are widely applied in other domains of organic synthesis, their use in the area of carbohydrates has been limited. The purpose of this review is to highlight the applications of microwave irradiation in the synthesis of carbohydrates.