Applications of catalysts on soluble supports

The use of soluble polymers as supports for catalysts is discussed and reviewed. Strategies where immobilized catalysts on soluble polymers are used in a monophasic reaction, but where the immobilized catalyst is recovered as an insoluble polymer-supported species in a liquid/solid separation step, are discussed. Such strategies include temperature perturbation, pH perturbation, and solvent precipitation as a means of producing a solid/liquid mixture for separation after a homogeneous reaction. Strategies where immobilized catalysts on soluble polymers are used in a monophasic reaction, but where the immobilized catalyst is recovered in one phase of a biphasic liquid/liquid mixture, are also described. Examples where temperature perturbation or additive addition are used as a means of producing a solid/liquid mixture for separation after a homogeneous reaction are discussed. Finally, examples where soluble polymers are used as supports homogeneously or biphasically and separated from products by membrane filtration or biphasic extraction are described.