The following themes characterize the group research:

• Ligand design.
  In addition to the well-known steric and electronic effects the ligand geometry of the catalyst centre has a profound influence on the reaction rate and selectivity. Designing ligands that steer the catalytic reaction in an enantio-selective manner is a major research aim.
• Supramolecular catalysis.
  Supramolecular building blocks such as calixarenes and porphyrins are used to construct novel catalysts based on non-covalent bonds. This approach may lead to catalysts containing a substrate-binding site next to a catalyst-binding site. It is envisaged that these new supramolecular systems give higher selectivity for the intended substrate and the desired product.
• Separation.
  For viable catalytic processes the separation of catalyst and reaction product is of great importance. A broad range of separation techniques is under investigation, such as catalysis in water, development of dendrimeric catalysts, and heterogenisation. Especially for alkene metathesis we focus on heterogeneous catalysis.