Liquid/liquid biphasic recovery/reuse of soluble polymier-supported catalysts

Liquid/liquid separations using gravity and two phases of different density are a practical and viable way to recover, separate and reuse soluble polymer-supported catalysts. Such separations are facilitated by using polymers that have phase-selective solubility under biphasic conditions. Such polymers can be designed to be soluble either in a non-polar or a polar phase. Since catalyst and ligand loading can be at a low mole percent level on the polymer, the polymer's intrinsic solubility can be maintained with a variety of ligands and catalysts making such separation strategies general. Catalysis with such soluble polymer-supported species can either be carried out under biphasic or monophasic conditions. In the former case, aqueous/organic, fluorous/organic or other biphasic regimes can be used. In the later case, thermomorphic or latent biphasic conditions can be employed. In either case, catalyst separation and re- covery can be accomplished simply without using significant quantities of additional solvent. 1 Introduction 2 Aqueous/Organic Biphasic Catalysis 3 Fluorous/Organic Biphasic Catalysis 4 Organic-Organic Biphasic Catalysis 5 Biphasic Catalysis in Ionic Liquids 6 Thermomorphic and Latent Biphasic Catalysis 6.1 Application of Polar Phase-Selectively Soluble Polymers 6.2 Application of Non-Polar Phase-Selectively Soluble Polymers 7 Conclusions