Functionalized Nanoparticles in Asymmetrical Catalysis

As an intermediary between bulk materials and discrete molecular species, nanomaterials have proved to be interesting candidates for the development of new catalysts where their colloidal nature and a high surface area-to-volume ratio allow for both high recyclability and activity. Over the past decade, nanomaterials have gained interest as supports for the immobilization of catalytically active species where, it has been proposed, the strengths of homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysis can be combined into a single species, a so-called ‘pseudo-homogeneous’ catalyst.