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Updated: May 26, 2026

Heterogeneous Removal of Water-Soluble Ruthenium Olefin Metathesis Catalyst from Aqueous Media Via Host-Guest Interaction
Published on: August 23, 2018
Organocatalysis in water at room temperature with in-flask catalyst recycling
Bruce H Lipshutz1, Subir Ghorai
1Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, University of California, Santa Barbara, California 93106, USA. lipshutz@chem.ucsb.edu
Abstract:
A new designer surfactant is described containing a covalently bound organocatalyst, proline. This species is water-soluble and, via spontaneous nanomicelle formation, catalyzes aldol reactions on water-soluble or -insoluble substrates in water as the only medium. Recycling the catalyst is trivial, as the amphiphile/catalyst remains in the aqueous phase in the flask.
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