Nanoparticle-supported catalysts and catalytic reactions - a mini-review

This article reviews recent developments of using nanometer-sized particular matrices for supporting catalysts and catalytic organic reactions. Immobilization of a catalyst onto the surface of an Au or magnetic (e. g. Fe2O3) nanoparticle allowed facile separation and recycling of the catalyst out of the reaction mixture. The activity and selectivity of the nanoparticle-supported catalytic species were found to be comparable to those of their parent catalysts in solution or their counterparts immobilized on the solid-phase. In addition, due to the unique surface structure of the nano-host, cooperative catalysis was observed in a dyad of amino acid residues and peptide analogues on the nanoparticle surface. Thereby, immobilization of catalysts on the surface of a nanoparticular matrix will not only facilitate the isolation and recovery of expensive catalysts, but also open a new avenue to regulate their activity and selectivity.