A major challenge in green chemistry is developing practical metal-catalyzed reactions in water, a safer and more sustainable medium than toxic organic solvents. This research has designed polymer-supported copper catalysts capable of assembling into micellar nanocatalysts in water having 175 nm diameter and low polydispersity. Copper-catalyzed azide−alkyne cycloaddition (CuAAC) was highly efficient in aqueous media. With only 1 mol% Cu loading, these catalysts deliver near-quantitative yields (95–99%) within 1–4 hours at room temperature, leaving minimal copper residue (<0.06 ppm) after simple extraction. This breakthrough highlights micellar nanocatalysis as a powerful strategy for advancing greener, scalable chemical processes.
- Witsanu Sombat
- Panuwat Padungros
- Voravee P. Hoven