Nanoencapsulation for Process Intensification

What could we do with layered structures with just the right layers What would the properties of materials be if we could really arrange the atoms the way we want them They would be very interesting to investigate. 

There s Plenty of Room at the Bottom Richard P. Feynman 29 December 1959 [1] 

Catalyst nanoencapsulation is an excellent fit to the concepts of green chemistry [2] in the area of process intensification - enabling incompatible catalysts to function in the same reactor, thereby achieving what otherwise simply cannot be done. 

Although the scope of this chapter is limited to catalyst nanoencapsulation for the purpose of process intensification, we take a broad view of the definition of nanoencapsulation. The capsule or catalyst, or both, may be on the nanoscale. Additionally, the various methods of nanoencapsulation may be of the order of up to a few microns. 

Handbook of Green Chemistry Volume 8 Green Nanoscience, First Edition. 

---

The use of multiple otherwise incompatible catalysts allows multistep reactions to proceed in one reaction vessel, providing many potential benefits. In this chapter, literature examples of nanoencapsulation for the purpose of process intensification have been discussed comprehensively. Current efforts in the literature are mostly concentrated in the areas of LbL template-based nanoencapsulation and sol-gel immobilization. Other cascade reactions (without the use of nanoencapsulation) that allow the use of incompatible catalysts were also examined and showcased as potential targets for nanoencapsulation approaches. Finally, different methods for nanoencapsulation were investigated, thereby suggesting potential ways forward for cascade reactions that use incompatible catalysts, solvent systems, or simply incompatible reaction conditions. 

---