Nanostructured catalysts via metal amide-promoted smart grafting

The heterogenization of homogeneous catalysts is a current topic in sustainable chemistry and catalysis. Such immobilized molecular catalysts provide access to environmentally benign chemical syntheses due to the ease of product separation and concomitant waste decrease. This perspective focuses on the fabrication of nanostructured catalysts by using amorphous (non)porous silica or metal oxides and periodic mesoporous (organo)silicas PM(O)S as 1(st) and 2(nd) generation supports, respectively, as well as metal (silyl)amide complexes as tailor-made grafting precursors. The pertinent SOMC (SOMC = surface organometallic chemistry) places special emphasis on organometallic hybrid materials that display properties distinct from the respective molecular catalysts and on new catalytic avenues which originate from 2(nd) generation supports.