A bioinspired bifunctional catalyst: an amphiphilic organometallic catalyst for ring-closing metathesis forming liquid droplets in aqueous media.

Inspired by phase-separated biopolymers with enzymatic activity, we developed an amphiphilic catalyst consisting of alternating hydrophilic oligo(ethylene glycol) and hydrophobic aromatic units bearing a Hoveyda-Grubbs catalyst center (MAHGII). MAHGII served as both a droplet-forming scaffold and a catalyst for ring-closing metathesis reactions, providing a new biomimetic system that promotes organic reactions in an aqueous environment.