Selective catalysis is a field that has been under intense investigation for the last 100 years. The most widely used method involves catalysts with stereochemical selectivity. In this type of catalysis, the catalyst controls which reactants will be transformed into the desired product. The secret to employing this type of catalysis, though, is to design the proper catalyst, which can be difficult. One may spend as much time developing the catalyst as spent separating the various products achieved. Another method of selective catalysis is now being explored. The method involves utilizing a multifunctional mesoporous silica catalyst with a gate-keeping capability.