Metal nanoparticles or metal oxide nanoparticles, an efficient and promising family of novel heterogeneous catalysts in organic synthesis

Recently, organic reactions catalyzed by metal/metal oxide nanoparticles (NPs) has attracted much attention. The notable advantages of this novel family of heterogeneous catalysts, such as high catalytic activity, good recyclability and improved selectivity, extend to a wide-range of applications in various organic reactions. This perspective provides an overview of the progresses made in metal/metal oxide NPs catalyzed organic reactions achieved in our group. Based on our investigations, we suggest that further exploration is required in two aspects in this area: (1) the effects of the size and shape of NPs on the reaction activity and selectivity, and (2) the effect of the supporting environment of the artificial template on the reaction activity and selectivity.