Thermomorphic Multiphase Systems: Switchable Solvent Mixtures for the Recovery of Homogeneous Catalysts in Batch and Flow Processes

Over the past 20 years, thermomorphic multiphase systems (TMS) have been used as a versatile and elegant strategy for the recovery and recycling of homogeneous transition-metal catalysts, in both batch-scale experiments and continuously operated processes. TMS ensure a homogeneous reaction in a monophasic reaction mixture at reaction temperature and the recovery of the homogeneous transition-metal catalyst through liquid-liquid separation at a lower separation temperature. This is achieved by using at least two solvents, which have a highly temperature-sensitive miscibility gap. The suitability of commercially available solvents makes this approach highly interesting from an industrial point of view. For the first time, herein, all studies in the area of TMS are reviewed, with the aim of providing a concise and integral representation of this approach for homogeneous catalyst recovery. In addition to the discussion of examples from the literature, the thermodynamic fundamentals of the temperature-dependent miscibility of solvents are also presented. This review also gives key indicators to compare different TMS approaches, for instance. In this way, new solvent combinations and in-depth research, as well as improvements to existing approaches, can be addressed and promoted.