Preparation of free-standing mesoporous metal catalysts and their applications in heterogeneous enantioselective hydrogenations

Abstract

This review mainly summarizes our latest progress in the preparation of free-standing mesoporous metal catalysts and their applications in heterogeneous enantioselective hydrogenations. Owing to exclusion of the support effect, free-standing mesoporous metal could be a suitable experimental model for a mechanistic understanding, which would have significant benefits for the design of real catalysts with high performance. We start with a brief survey on the main synthetic approaches available for the preparation of free-standing mesoporous metal catalysts. Next, we select a few mesoporous metal catalysts to demonstrate their improved catalytic performance in the enantioselective hydrogenation of ketones or aromatic ketones. The factors influencing the activity and enantioselectivity, such as the modification conditions and confinement effect, are discussed. Finally, we introduce DFT calculations to gain insight into the molecular interaction involved in the adsorption process. We conclude the review with a personal perspective on the challenges and opportunities for the future development of efficient heterogeneous enantioselective metal catalysts.