Recent advances in water-mediated multiphase catalysis

Water is the most sustainable solvent, making it the obvious choice to replace organic solvents in various synthesis tech-niques. However, its applications in the chemical and phar-maceutical industries are often restricted by the low solubility of organic compounds in water. Essentially, the reactions of organic compounds in water are multiphase systems. There-fore, this review classifies aqueous-phase organic reactions into liquid-liquid, liquid-solid and gas-liquid-solid phase from the perspective of phase interfaces of multiphase re-actions, and summarizes the research progress and break-throughs in recent years, including the application of micellar catalysis, Pickering emulsion catalysis, micro-nanobubble/ foam catalysis and "dry water" catalysis, as well as the unique advantages of using water as a medium. Finally, we point out the current challenges and future perspectives on multiphase catalysis in aqueous-phase reactions.