The precise atomic architecture of the catalytically active center is the central topic of the approach presented herein to the design of solid-state catalysts. A wide range of new catalysts may be designed that effect regioselective, shape-selective, and enantioselective conversions, as well as producing high-performance catalysts for the isomerization and hydrogenation of alkenes and the terminal oxidation of alkanes. All the new catalysts described are either microporous or mesoporous solids that have the dual advantages of possessing large specific surfaces and being amenable to delicate structural and compositional variation.
John Meurig Thomas (1999) studied this question.