Sustainable Chemistry Through Tailored Catalytic Interfaces of Nanoporous Materials

Porous functional materials, with large accessible surface areas and defined surface functionalities, play a key role as catalysts in a wide range of reactions. However, catalytic processes are highly diverse, meaning that the nature and properties of suitable catalysts can vary greatly. For example, many important industrial reactions require harsh conditions, making inorganic materials such as zeolites or mesoporous oxides the materials of choice.

In contrast, electro- or photocatalytic conversions—crucial for a sustainable future—demand abundant and (semi)conducting substrates, making carbon or carbon nitride-based catalysts particularly attractive. Finally, porous organic materials are ideal candidates for bridging the gap between homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysis in a variety of important catalytic reactions. In these materials, molecular catalysts are immobilized by polymerizing them into open framework structures. This lecture will provide an overview of the synthesis and catalytic applications of these material classes.