Heterogenization of Homogeneous Catalysts on Dendrimers

Abstract

The functionalizing of dendrimers with homogeneous catalyst moieties either to the dendrimer periphery or to the dendrimer core yields macromolecular homogeneous catalysts. These polymeric materials are characterized by a high level of molecular integrity and usually retain a comparable activity and selectivity as the parent monomeric catalyst. Moreover, such size-enlarged catalysts can be easily separated from homogeneous reaction mixtures by means of any size-discriminative technique. In this chapter, modern as well as classical examples of dendrimer-heterogenized catalysts will be highlighted in detail with respect to their preparation, properties, and catalytic application with specific emphasis on the role of the dendritic support.