Supported Homogeneous Catalysts

Abstract

Almost all industrial catalysts are heterogeneous, the reaction taking place on a solid surface. During the past decade homogeneous catalysts, soluble in the liquid phase reactant, have received a great deal of attention, although they have so far found only limited industrial use, chiefly because of the difficulty of their separation from the reaction products. More recently an intermediate type, made by attaching the active metal complex to an insoluble polymer support, has been found to offer a promising new range of catalysts for the future. It is likely that a large proportion of these will be based on the platinum group metals.