Cisplatin, or cis-diamminedichloroplatinum(II) (cis-[Pt(NH₃)₂Cl₂]), is a well-known anticancer drug used in chemotherapy. While its synthesis has been well optimized, the best route still involves multiple steps and takes two to three hours.

Using microwave-enhanced synthesis, James D. Hoeschele and co-workers, Eastern Michigan University, Ypsilanti, MI, USA, considerably shorten the time of a classic one-step preparation for cisplatin. By heating K₂PtCl₄, NH₄OAc, and KCl in a 1:4:2 molar ratio at 100 °C, the new procedure gives purified product in 47 % yield within only 80 minutes. This new synthesis, given the very short time it takes, is especially ideal for incorporating the short-lived radioactive ^195mPt into cisplatin, which provides a longer effective lifetime for biological studies.

• Microwave-assisted synthesis of the anticancer drug cisplatin, cis-[Pt(NH₃)₂Cl₂],
  Emanuele Petruzzella, Cristian V. Chirosca, Cameron S. Heidenga, James D. Hoschele,
  Dalton Trans. 2015.
  DOI: 10.1039/c4dt03617d