Chapter 3: Recoverable Polymer-supported DMAP Derivatives

The goal of performing chemical reactions and processes without generating large amounts of detrimental wastes has been an important endeavor in synthetic chemistry since the development of the ideals of “Green Chemistry”. The principles underlying this philosophy include maximizing the amount of raw material that ends up in products while minimizing the use and generation of environmentally harmful materials. Two main culprits include organic solvents and catalysts, both of which can be toxic and harmful to the ecosystem, therefore their disposal must be undertaken with great care. To reduce the impact that these may have on the environment, many methods have been developed that allow for the sequestration and reuse of important catalysts/reagents while reducing the amount of solvent waste generated. Many of these examples rely on the use of polymers as catalyst supports. This short chapter described efforts toward using insoluble and soluble polymers as supports for species such as 4-(N,N-dimethylamino)pyridine (DMAP) and 1,8-diazabicyclo[5.4.0]undec-7-ene (DBU) derivatives and their recovery and reuse.