This book provides informative useful and stimulating reading on the topic of organic
sonochemistry - the core of ultrasound-based applications. Given the increasing interest in new
and improved technologies allied to their green and sustainable character (not always a valid
premise) there is a great attraction for organic chemists to apply these protocols in
synthesis and process chemistry. Unfortunately as with other enabling technologies many
researchers new to the field have received a simple and dishonest message: just switch on!
Therefore a significant portion of sonochemical syntheses lack reproducibility (surprisingly
cavitation control and or ultrasonic parameters are omitted) and the actual role of sonication
remains uncertain. While this book does not provide a detailed description of fundamentals the
introductory remarks highlight the importance of cavitational effects and their experimental
control. It presents a number of concepts of sonochemical reactivity and empirical rules with
pertinent examples often from classical and recent literature. It then focuses on scenarios of
current interest where organic chemistry and synthesis in particular may benefit from
sonication in terms of both chemical and mechanical activation. The sustainable corner of this
field is largely exemplified through concepts like atom economy renewable sources wasteless
syntheses and benign solvents as reaction media. This book is useful for both researchers and
graduate students especially those familiar with the field of sonochemistry and applications
of ultrasound in general. However it is also of interest to a broader audience as it discusses
the fundamentals techniques and experimental skills necessary for scientists wishing to
initiate the use of ultrasound in their domain of expertise.
