The application of combinational chemistry has been changing since it was first described almost two decades ago. This review highlights relevant innovative ideas using the combinatorial chemistry approach, fodusing on the present and future scope of this technology and its general acceptance among the scientific community. Recent developments include solid-supported reagents, catalysts, scavengers and purification, resin technology (polymer-supported chemistry on monolithic disks); reporter resins for solid-phase organic chemistry; dynamic combinational libraries; natural product-based libraries and chemical genetics; and microreactors.