Mirror, mirror on the wall, squishy and soggy, 2 Nanos Tall: Strategies, methods and tools for searching homogeneous catalysts – An EPO perspective (Part 1. Introduction and patents)

This paper provides an overview of various search strategies, methods and tools for searching catalysts comprising hydrides, coordination complexes or organic compounds. These are also commonly referred to as “homogeneous catalysts”, in contradistinction to true heterogeneous metal or metal oxide catalysts, typically on an inorganic support.The characteristic material and search aspects are illustrated by way of exemplary patent applications for catalysts/systems that find use in industrially important reactions such as hydroformylation, hydrocyanation, (asymmetric) hydrogenation, olefin metathesis, cross-coupling or come from emerging fields (e.g. C–H activation, “green chemistry”). EPO internal, commercial, as well as some freeware tools are explained, including an evaluation of strengths and weaknesses.Emphasis is placed on how these catalysts are searched at the European Patent Office, i.e. patentability searches of patent applications. Nevertheless, the information and evaluations provided herein should enable the reader to set up a strategy for any specific search problem in this field, including high precision (“quick”) and high recall clearance or validity searches.Additionally, much insight is provided on search methods at the EPO, databases etc, which can be of wider interest than catalyst searches alone.The paper is divided into two parts. This part (part 1) deals with terminology and the basics of patent searching, whereas part 2 in the next issue of this journal will deal with non-patent literature searching and the overall conclusions. See also the introduction for the distribution of content between the individual parts.