Nanocatalysts: Organic/Inorganic Nanosystems as Biomimetic Catalysts

Dear Colleagues,

Nature has always represented the main inspiration source for chemists. During a long design and optimization period (over 4 billion years), nature has realized hybrid organic/inorganic nanosystems, able to act as optimal catalysts towards many different organic reactions. These catalytic nanosystems are called enzymes. In recent decades, taking into account the enzymatic mechanism, researchers developed a wide range of synthetic catalysts, with nanoscopic dimensions, which mimic the enzymatic reaction: the biomimetic catalysts.

This Special Issue will collect recent developments in this field, highlighting the employing of new nanostructured organic and inorganic catalysts. Particular attention will be devoted to new eco-friendly nanosystems, able to work in “green-conditions”. In fact, organic solvents have been commonly used as reaction media both by research laboratories and by industries; however, to reduce the ecological impact and the manufacturing costs, today, the target is to reduce the number and amount of solvents, moving to more “green” media.

There will be a focus on contributions regarding chiral catalysts, due to the importance of asymmetric reactions in the organic synthesis, in particular for the wide applications in pharmaceutics, agricultural chemicals, and functional materials.

The scope of this Special Issue covers, but is not limited to, the following topics:

• Homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysis
• Biomimetic catalysis
• Organocatalysis by supramolecular assemblies
• Metal–Organic framework
• Graphene derivatives as an efficient scaffold for catalysis
• Metal-Nanoparticles as catalysts
• Nanoporous materials
• Catalysis at the interfaces
• Supramolecular catalysis

Dr. Giuseppe Trusso
Dr. Andrea Pappalardo
Guest Editors

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