Microwave-assisted green chemistry

We have had a microwave synthesizer in our organic chemistry lab for 15 years now, but last year, approximately at this time of year (before COVID-19 lockdown), it was broken, and we had to let it go, it couldn't be fixed anymore. We were very sad, since these days it is really hard to get finding to buy any new equipment. The founders expect that the infrastructure and facilities are already there. Luckily, we have this infrastructure-related strategic funds given by the Faculty every year, but the competition between the departments is hard and of course the amount per year is not that big. Anyway, I bravely applied it, and to my and everyone's else surprise, we got the funding for the new microwave synthesizer before end of the year 2020. Then all the formalities took place, we had to make a tender and so on, but luckily again for us, there was only one supplier who was able to give an offer and thus we accepted it. It was the same brand which we had already, so no big surprises, I hope! 😏

So after one year, which I think was pretty fast in this case, we have now the microwave synthesizer up and running again! One thing I think made the decision faster in the faculty is the fact that this is our future, green chemistry! The microwave saves power, water flow, gives higher yields of synthesized products with lower yields of unwanted side products, which makes the purification step's solvent waste lower, etc, etc. 

So I'm very happy to that I was able to make my contribution, so that we can continue to carry out our green chemistry!