On-the-fly Catalyst Modification: Strategy to Improve Catalytic Processes Selectivity and Understanding

Hydrogenation is a quintessential process to the chemical industry. It is heavily involved in organic synthesis and fuel production, among other processes. Preferentially the reactions are carried out with heterogeneous catalysts and when possible in flow mode. Herein, we provide a retrospective on selective surface modification of catalysts for improved selectivity and understanding of catalytic reactivity. In addition, we provide a prospectus for an emerging strategy of carrying out surface modification on-the-fly to produce novel catalysts in a fast and reproducible way and to understand catalytic phenomena.