Organic synthesis using clay catalysts

Conclusion The clay minerals can catalyze a variety of organic reactions occurring on their surface and interstitial space. Synthetic organic chemists have been attracted to their tremendous potential as catalysts only relatively recently. Modification of their properties by incorporating different metal cations, molecules or complexes, can lead to catalysts that are useful in effecting even more varieties of reactions and higher selectivity in product structure and yield. There is a theory that the molecules of life actually developed in sedimentary clays. As the organic chemist is becoming more aware of the clay’s efficacy, its uses in organic synthesis are bound to increase, especially because it helps in developing eco-friendly chemical processes. The dark clay has a bright future in the area of organic synthesis.