Emerging strategies in sustainable fine-chemical synthesis: asymmetric catalysis by metal nanoparticles

The combination of chiral- and nano-technologies is potentially one of the most promising strategies for "green" catalytic conversions aimed at fine-chemical production. This paper reviews the most representative examples and highlights recent achievements in the field of enantioselective processes catalyzed by metal nanoparticles (MNPs), with a view to the potential of the methodology and future perspectives. Applications are described according to the nanocatalyst type used, either liquid-phase suspensions or solid-supported systems. The focus is on the design of the catalysts, their preparation and characterization, applications in catalysis and mechanistic studies.