Organic Polymer Supports for Synthesis and for Reagent and Catalyst Immobilization

Organic polymer supports for synthesis and for reagent and catalyst immobilization is studied. Some of the main considerations when choosing which polymer to use in a particular application include solvent compatibility and loading level. With regard to polymer loading level, it should be kept in mind that the maximum value for any polymer-supported reagent or catalyst is inversely proportional to the sum of the molecular weights of the reagent/catalyst group and the monomer used to prepare the polymer. Some of the greatest advancements in this field include the development of materials for heterogeneous metal catalyst encapsulation with which leaching of less than a part per million of the entrapped species is often observed. Polymers with desirable solubility profiles can be easily and quantitatively removed and reused using liquid/liquid biphasic separation methodologies, and it is anticipated that such materials will find increasing utility in the future.