Recent progress of N-heterocyclic carbenes in heterogeneous catalysis

The aim of this tutorial review is to highlight the potential application of N-heterocyclic carbenes (NHC) in heterogeneous catalysis. The unique combination of the high reactivity of NHCs together with the ease of separation, purification and recyclability of the solid catalyst makes the heterogeneous system one of the most promising strategies for the synthesis of fine chemicals on an industrial scale. This tutorial review focuses on the most representative examples of this nascent research area and highlights recent achievements of NHCs in heterogeneous catalysis (other than metathesis reactions). We hope this serves as inspiration for further progress in this field.