Encapsulated Catalysts

Although reactivity and selectivity of homogenous catalysts are better than their heterogeneous counterparts, the difficulty of their separation from reaction mixture, and/or their sensitivity to reaction conditions, limit their industrial applications. Immobilization of homogenous catalysts on inorganic or organic supports enables the separation of homogenous catalysts, as well as the protection or reuse of catalysts. Recently, the combination of encapsulation and catalyst support has led to new generation of supported catalysts in which the catalyst is encapsulated within cavities of support. In these, the support not only plays its classic role by protecting the catalyst and improving its separation and reusability, but also, it participates in catalysis via encapsulation of catalyst within its micro cavity, resulting in improved reactivity and selectivity of catalyst. In this regard, encapsulated catalysts could pave the way for developing of enzyme mimic catalysts. Encapsulated Catalysts provides valuable information for chemists, chemical engineers, and materials scientists in this promising, growing area. The book describes many kinds of encapsulated catalysts and their applications in chemistry, in organic, inorganic, hybrid, and biological systems. Unlike other works, which discuss traditional supports, this useful resource uniquely focuses on the encapsulation effects on reactivity and selectivity. Discusses one of the most promising advances in catalysis and recent developments in the area including enzyme mimic catalysts and new nano-materials for catalyst encapsulationProvides interdisciplinary coverage of organic, inorganic and biological materials for encapsulation of catalystsDescribes various types of reactions which can be catalyzed in presence of encapsulated catalysts