James R. Gallagher

A Hafnium-Based Metal–Organic Framework as a Nature-Inspired Tandem Reaction Catalyst

Tandem catalytic systems, often inspired by biological systems, offer many advantages in the formation of highly functionalized small molecules. Herein, a new metal-organic framework (MOF) with porphyrinic struts and Hf6 nodes is reported. This MOF demonstrates catalytic efficacy in the tandem oxidation and functionalization of styrene utilizing molecular oxygen as a terminal oxidant. The product, a protected 1,2-aminoalcohol, is formed selectively and with high efficiency using this recyclable heterogeneous catalyst. Significantly, the unusual regioselective transformation occurs only when an Fe-decorated Hf6 node and the Fe-porphyrin strut work in concert. This report is an example of concurrent orthogonal tandem catalysis.

Single-Site Organozirconium Catalyst Embedded in a Metal–Organic Framework

A structurally well-defined mesoporous Hf-based metal-organic framework (Hf-NU-1000) is employed as a well-defined scaffold for a highly electrophilic single-site d(0) Zr-benzyl catalytic center. This new material Hf-NU-1000-ZrBn is fully characterized by a variety of spectroscopic techniques and DFT computation. Hf-NU-1000-ZrBn is found to be a promising single-component catalyst (i.e., not requiring a catalyst/activator) for ethylene and stereoregular 1-hexene polymerization.

Graphite-Conjugated Rhenium Catalysts for Carbon Dioxide Reduction

Condensation of fac-Re(5,6-diamino-1,10-phenanthroline)(CO)3Cl to o-quinone edge defects on graphitic carbon surfaces generates graphite-conjugated rhenium (GCC-Re) catalysts that are highly active for CO2 reduction to CO in acetonitrile electrolyte. X-ray photoelectron and X-ray absorption spectroscopies establish the formation of surface-bound Re centers with well-defined coordination environments. GCC-Re species on glassy carbon surfaces display catalytic currents greater than 50 mA cm(-2) with 96 ± 3% Faradaic efficiency for CO production. Normalized for the number of Re active sites, GCC-Re catalysts exhibit higher turnover frequencies than that of a soluble molecular analogue, fac-Re(1,10-phenanthroline)(CO)3Cl, and turnover numbers greater than 12,000. In contrast to the molecular analogue, GCC-Re surfaces display a Tafel slope of 150 mV/decade, indicative of a catalytic mechanism involving rate-limiting one-electron transfer. This work establishes graphite-conjugation as a powerful strategy for generating well-defined, tunable, heterogeneous electrocatalysts on ubiquitous graphitic carbon surfaces.

Organometallic model complexes elucidate the active gallium species in alkane dehydrogenation catalysts based on ligand effects in Ga K-edge XANES

Gallium-modified zeolites are known catalysts for the dehydrogenation of alkanes, reactivity that finds industrial application in the aromatization of light alkanes by Ga-ZSM5. While the role of gallium cations in alkane activation is well known, the oxidation state and coordination environment of gallium under reaction conditions has been the subject of debate. Edge shifts in Ga K-edge XANES spectra acquired under reaction conditions have long been interpreted as evidence for reduction of Ga(III) to Ga(I). However, a change in oxidation state is not the only factor that can give rise to a change in the XANES spectrum. In order to better understand the XANES spectra of working catalysts, we have synthesized a series of molecular model compounds and grafted surface organometallic Ga species and compared their XANES spectra to those of gallium-based catalysts acquired under reducing conditions. We demonstrate that changes in the identity and number of gallium nearest neighbors can give rise to changes in XANES spectra similar to those attributed in literature to changes in oxidation state. Specifically, spectral features previously attributed to Ga(I) may be equally well interpreted as evidence for low-coordinate Ga(III) alkyl or hydride species. These findings apply both to gallium-impregnated zeolite catalysts and to silica-supported single site gallium catalysts, the latter of which is found to be active and selective for dehydrogenation of propane and hydrogenation of propylene.

Supported Tetrahedral Oxo-Sn Catalyst: Single Site, Two Modes of Catalysis

Mild calcination in ozone of a (POSS)-Sn-(POSS) complex grafted on silica generated a heterogenized catalyst that mostly retained the tetrahedral coordination of its homogeneous precursor, as evidenced by spectroscopic characterizations using EXAFS, NMR, UV-vis, and DRIFT. The Sn centers are accessible and uniform and can be quantified by stoichiometric pyridine poisoning. This Sn-catalyst is active in hydride transfer reactions as a typical solid Lewis acid. However, the Sn centers can also create Brønsted acidity with alcohol by binding the alcohol strongly as alkoxide and transferring the hydroxyl H to the neighboring Sn-O-Si bond. The resulting acidic silanol is active in epoxide ring opening and acetalization reactions.

In situ diffraction of highly dispersed supported platinum nanoparticles

For catalytic metal nanoparticles ( 2 nm) where diffraction patterns of the metallic phase are obtainable in air, we show that on exposure to air the surface is oxidized with a metallic core producing misleading results with respect to particle size and lattice parameter. Results from XRD are cross-correlated with scanning transmission electron microscopy and three other synchrotron X-ray techniques, small angle diffraction (SAXS), pair distribution function (PDF) and X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS), to provide detailed characterization of the structure of very small nanoparticles in the metallic phase.

Pd–In intermetallic alloy nanoparticles: highly selective ethane dehydrogenation catalysts

Silica supported Pd and Pd–In catalysts with different In:Pd atomic ratios and similar particle size (∼2 nm) were tested for ethane dehydrogenation at 600 °C. For a monometallic Pd catalyst, at 15% conversion, the dehydrogenation selectivity and initial turnover rate (TOR, per surface Pd site) were 53% and 0.03 s−1, respectively. Addition of In to Pd increased the dehydrogenation selectivity to near 100% and the initial TOR to 0.26 s−1. Carbon monoxide IR, in situ synchrotron XAS and XRD analysis showed that for Pd–In catalysts with increasing In loading, different bimetallic structures were formed: at low In loading a fraction of the nanoparticle surface was transformed into PdIn intermetallic compound (IMC, also known as intermetallic alloy) with a cubic CsCl structure; at higher In loading, a Pd-core/PdIn-shell structure was formed and at high In loading the nanoparticles were pure PdIn IMC. While a Pd metal surface binds CO predominantly in a bridge fashion, the PdIn IMC predominantly binds CO linearly. Formation of the PdIn IMC structure on the catalyst surface geometrically isolates the Pd catalytic sites by non-catalytic, metallic In neighbors, which is suggested to be responsible for the high olefin selectivity. Concomitant electronic effect due to Pd–In bond formation likely leads to the increase in TOR. Though multiple IMC structures with different atomic ratios are possible for the Pd–In binary system, only a cubic PdIn IMC with CsCl structure was observed, implying a kinetically controlled solid state IMC formation mechanism.

Air- and Water-Resistant Noble Metal Coated Ferromagnetic Cobalt Nanorods

Cobalt nanorods possess ideal magnetic properties for applications requiring magnetically hard nanoparticles. However, their exploitation is undermined by their sensitivity toward oxygen and water, which deteriorates their magnetic properties. The development of a continuous metal shell inert to oxidation could render them stable, opening perspectives not only for already identified applications but also for uses in which contact with air and/or aqueous media is inevitable. However, the direct growth of a conformal noble metal shell on magnetic metals is a challenge. Here, we show that prior treatment of Co nanorods with a tin coordination compound is the crucial step that enables the subsequent growth of a continuous noble metal shell on their surface, rendering them air- and water-resistant, while conserving the monocrystallity, metallicity and the magnetic properties of the Co core. Thus, the as-synthesized core-shell ferromagnetic nanorods combine high magnetization and strong uniaxial magnetic anisotropy, even after exposure to air and water, and hold promise for successful implementation in in vitro biodiagnostics requiring probes of high magnetization and anisotropic shape.

Tetrahedral Sn–silsesquioxane: synthesis, characterization and catalysis

A tetrahedral stannasilsesquioxane complex was synthesized as a racemic mixture using Sn(O(i)Pr)4 and silsesquioxanediol, and its structure was confirmed with X-ray crystallography, NMR, and EXAFS. The complex was a Lewis acid, and both anti and syn-binding with Lewis bases were possible with the formation of octahedral Sn complexes. It was also a Lewis acid catalyst active for epoxide ring opening and hydride transfer.

Synthesis and structure of ruthenium-fullerides

We report a simple and original procedure for preparing Ru-C60 polymeric chains, which spontaneously self-assemble as polymeric spherical particles. The size of the particles can be controlled by the choice of the solvent used during the reaction. In addition, these Ru-C60 polymeric spheres can be surface decorated with Ru nanoparticles using the same mild reaction conditions by changing the Ru/C60 ratio. Several techniques (TEM in high resolution, scanning and electron tomography modes, IR, NMR, Raman, WAXS, EXAFS and XPS) together with theoretical calculations allowed us to have an insight into the structure of these Ru-C60 species.