We design new carbocatalysts (metal-free catalysts predominantly based on carbon) from bottom up by combining homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysis. Molecular active sites are first investigated under homogeneous conditions using kinetic studies. This approach allows us to identify the reaction mechanism and the optimal reaction conditions. The most promising active sites are then grafted onto graphene to obtain the corresponding heterogeneous catalysts.
ACS Catal. 2015, 5, 3162-3173 [link]