Coupling exothermic with endothermic reactions is proposed as a significant improvement in reactor performance and energy integration. Furthermore, it forms an initial step for process optimization using pinch method. Through coupling of the exothermic reaction with endothermic one, oxidation with reduction, dehydrogenation with hydrogenation, hydration with dehydration, and even a series of tandem reactions, the utilization of energy and materials can be optimized. The underlying goal of this paper is to provide an extensive review through the years 1994-2011 of coupling exothermic and endothermic reactions as an important measure in process integration and intensifying. Developments in coupled reactions, classifying suitable reactors for couplings and categorizing several types of coupling exothermic and endothermic reactions are investigated in this study. Finally, various information concerning coupled reactions are presented in tables. Superiorities of novel models (coupled configurations) to the conventional configurations are clarified. Ultimately, various suggestions are proposed for further work. Results show that the short distance between heat sink and heat source can increase the efficiency of the heat transfer meanwhile incorporating two separated processes with coupled reactors can reduce the size of equipment. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.