Focused microwave-assisted Soxhlet extraction: devices and applications.

An overview of a new extraction technique called focused microwave-assisted Soxhlet extraction (FMASE) is here presented. This technique is based on the same principles as conventional Soxhlet extraction but using microwaves as auxiliary energy to accelerate the process. The different devices designed and constructed so far, their advantages and limitations as well as their main applications on environmental and food analysis are discussed in this article.