Transition Metal Catalysis in Confined Spaces

In this chapter, we discuss strategies for transition metal catalyst encapsulation, with a focus on catalysts relevant for artificial photosynthesis. Natural catalysts for light-driven water oxidation and for proton reduction are very efficient and as such provide a blueprint for the design of synthetic systems. One general difference between synthetic catalysts and the enzymes used in Nature is that the latter are much larger and take advantage of the second coordination sphere. The examples shown in this chapter demonstrate that such a second coordination sphere can be mimicked by encapsulation of catalysts into supramolecular architectures such as coordination cages and metal–organic frameworks (MOFs), thereby changing some of the key parameters of the catalysts.