Magnetically Separable, Carbon-Supported Nanocatalysts for the Manufacture of Fine Chemicals†
This initial work was part of an Institute of Applied Catalysis (iAc (UK)) Foresight Challenge project. We thank the members of iAc steering panels, Professors C. Adams, C. Gent, D. Jackson, P. Davy (Quest Chemicals), and R. Burch (Queen's University of Belfast) for useful discussions and project guidance. S.C.T. would also like to acknowledge further financial support from Johnson Matthey and the EPSRC (GR/N21727). Dr. H. Hobson and Dr. P. Morrall are acknowledged for recording the XRD measurements and XPS spectra, respectively.
Graphical Abstract
The best of both worlds: The synthesis of carbon-encapsulated iron-based magnetic nanoparticles is described (see picture: left TEM image, right model). With such small catalysts that have macroscopic magnetic properties, the advantages of homogeneous or colloidal and heterogeneous catalysts can be combined.
