How the Horvath paradigm, Fluorous Biphasic Catalysis, affected oxidation chemistry: Successes, challenges, and a sustainable future

Fluorous Biphasic Catalysis (FBC) has been a more than a two decades old concept, that constituted a paradigm shift in bi and triphasic homogeneous catalysis reactions. FBC has expanded over the years to include a variety of conceptually innovative strategies, enabling the quick separation and recovery of suitable precatalysts, from substrates and products. An overview of the development of selective FBC oxidation reactions, including allylic oxidation, peroxidation, epoxidation of alkenes, and oxidation of primary and secondary alcohols to carbonyl compounds, is presented, with the major focus on the authors' contributions to the field, showcasing the principles of fluorous precatalyst design, and the potential of FBC in its many variants. (C) 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.