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.