Research programme overview

The research activities carried out by NANO-HOST are based on a jointly executed research programme. The scientific work is broken down into three Work Packages (WP) with identified tasks. The Work Packages reflect the different nature of the support materials investigated.

WP1 “Catalysts immobilized on silica and zeolites” is centred on: a) the development of innovative strategies for the design and the mastered elaboration of micro- and mesoporous inorganic matrices (silica and zeolites, eventually including heteropolyanions or metal nanoparticles) with structured porosity and controlled surface properties, b) the immobilisation of homogeneous catalyst precursors on these matrices, c) the use and recycle of the heterogenized catalysts in selective reactions, hydrogenations, oxidations, epoxidations and cascade reactions, d) development of (super critical) flow / monolithic reactors.

WP2 “Catalysts immobilized on dendrimers” is centred on the design and the synthesis of new dendritic materials and nanoparticle hybrids, and the catalysts based on them, and their use in chemical transformations with enhanced selectivity: cascade (tandem) reactions, C-C and C-X bond forming reactions, hydroformylations.

WP3 “Catalysts immobilized on functionalised polymers” is centred on the development of methodologies for covalent and non-covalent immobilization of metal complexes onto functionalized organic or hybrid polymers. These include: latex polymers, ion-exchange resins, carbon nanotubes, metal-organic frameworks, metal oxide nanotubes, polymer ligands, ligands tethered to silica. The heterogenized catalysts obtained will be tested in (enantio)selective transformations for activity, selectivity and recyclability.

Irrespective of the WP and the support adopted, synthetic, reactivity, characterization, modelling and engineering activities are transversal to each WP. Achieving the goals of the project requires the integration of several expertises:

a) ligand and catalyst design and synthesis, b) catalysts anchoring, testing and recycling, c) dendrimer design and synthesis, d) supports design and synthesis, e) nanoparticle synthesis, f) separation science, g) characterisation & molecular modelling, h) reactor engineering.