Electrochemical recycling of homogeneous catalysts

A method for electrochemically recycling a noble metal catalyst comprising:

• a) applying a positive first potential to a working electrode comprising a redox metallopolymer wherein the metal moieties of the redox metallopolymer are transformed to an oxidized metal species and form an oxidized metallopolymer electrode;
• b) contacting a product mixture and the oxidized metallopolymer electrode wherein the mixture comprises a reaction product and a noble metal catalyst;
• c) selectively adsorbing the catalyst to the oxidized metallopolymer electrode wherein the noble metal moiety of the catalyst binds to the oxidized metal species and forms a loaded electrode;
• d) collecting the reaction product when the catalyst is adsorbed to the oxidized metallopolymer electrode;
• e) contacting an electrolyte and the loaded electrode;
• f) applying a second potential to the loaded electrode wherein the second potential is less relative to the first potential by at least 0.1 V and the oxidized metal species is transformed to a reduced state;
• g) desorbing the adsorbed noble metal catalyst from the loaded electrode into the electrolyte;
• and
• h) contacting the desorbed noble metal catalyst and an organic substrate to form the product mixture;
• wherein the noble metal catalyst is thereby electrochemically recycled from the reaction mixture.