Jiri Pinkas

[Zn2(thf)2(EtZn)6Zn4(μ4‐O)(tBuPO3)8]: A Dodecanuclear Zincophosphonate Aggregate with a Zn4(μ4‐O) Core

The largest multinuclear zinc framework synthesized is in the title compound (see picture), which contains structural features closely related to the motifs found in layered and three-dimensional zincophosphates and zincophosphonates. The reactive centers make this zincophosphonate a viable precursor for the synthesis of porous zincophosphonate materials.

Molecular Aluminophosphonate: Model Compound for the Isoelectronic Double‐Six‐Ring (D6R) Secondary Building Unit of Zeolites

The reaction of tert-butylphosphonic acid with equimolar quantities of AlMe3 in THF/n-hexane yields a mixture of [MeAlO3PtBu]6 (1) and [MeAlO3PtBu]4 (2). The molecular structure of 1 resembles the D6R building units found in aluminophosphates. The central core of the Al6O18P6 polyhedron can be described as a cylindrical drum. By tailoring the alkyl groups on aluminum and phosphorus, it is possible to generate bigger building units of aluminophosphate molecular sieves.

Molecular Model for Aluminophosphates Containing Fluoride as a Structure‐Directing and Mineralizing Agent

Two tricyclic capped six-rings (C6R), a double four-ring (D4R), and an Al(μ-F)2 Al unit are among the structural features of 1 (see picture for structure) that are closely related to motifs found in layered and three-dimensional alumino- and gallophosphates. Several reactive centers can render 1 a viable precursor for the synthesis of microporous aluminophosphates.

[Zn2(thf)2(EtZn)6Zn4(μ4‐O)(tBuPO3)8]: ein zwölfkerniges Zinkphosphonat‐Aggregat mit einem zentralen Zn4(μ4‐O)‐Baustein

Das groste synthetisierte mehrkernige Zink-Gerust weist die Titelverbindung auf; das Gerust hat strukturelle Besonderheiten, die man sowohl bei schichtartig als auch bei dreidimensional aufgebauten Zinkphosphaten und -phosphonaten findet. Die reaktiven Zentren machen dieses Zinkphosphonat-Aggregat zu einer vielversprechenden Vorstufe fur die Synthese poroser Zinkphosphonat-Materialien.

A Structurally Diverse Series of Aluminum Chloride Alkoxides [ClxAl(μ-OR)y]n (R = nBu, cHex, Ph, 2,4-tBu2C6H3)

A diverse series of aluminum chloride alkoxides, [Cl(x)Al(mu-OR)(y)](n) (R = (n)Bu, (c)Hex, Ph, 2,4-(t)Bu(2)C(6)H(3)), was synthesized using the reactions of dichlorethylalane (EtAlCl(2)) with cyclohexanol ((c)HexOH), n-butanol ((n)BuOH), and phenols (PhOH and 2,4-(t)Bu(2)C(6)H(3)OH). Eight molecular products were isolated and structurally characterized. The dimeric [Cl(2)Al(mu-O(c)Hex)(2)AlCl(2)] (1) was the smallest oligomer isolated among the cyclohexanolate derivatives. The adduct of 1 with cyclohexanol is a dinuclear molecule [Cl(2)(HO(c)Hex)Al(mu-O(c)Hex)(2)AlCl(2)] (2) which represents a possible intermediate in the conversion reaction leading to the formation of a trinuclear bicyclic [ClAl{(mu-O(c)Hex)(2)AlCl(2)}(2)] (3). Two polymorphic forms of 3 were isolated. Further coordination of cyclohexanol to the Lewis acidic five-coordinate aluminum atom in 3 provided [Cl(HO(c)Hex)Al{(mu-O(c)Hex)(2)AlCl(2)}(2)] (4) with octahedrally coordinated central aluminum. Compound 4 could be regarded as a precursor to the well-known Mitsubishi (tridiamond) tetranuclear species. The reactions of EtAlCl(2) with less sterically demanding (n)BuOH yielded a cyclic trimer, [Cl(2)Al(mu-O(n)Bu)](3) (5), and a unique trinuclear ionic species, [Cl(2)Al{(mu-OH)(mu-O(n)Bu)AlCl(HO(n)Bu)(3)}(2)]Cl (6) with a linear Al(mu-O)(2)Al(mu-O)(2)Al core. In the reactions with phenols, the aromatic groups preferentially stabilized dimeric structures of [Cl(2)Al(mu-OR)(2)AlCl(2)] (R = Ph, 7; 2,4-(t)Bu(2)C(6)H(3), 8). Since these compounds could be considered as intermediates in the nonhydrolytic condensation reactions of metal halides with metal alkoxides, a mixture of EtAlCl(2) with (c)HexOH was used as a precursor for the nonaqueous synthesis of alumina by alkylhalide elimination.

Non-aqueous template-assisted synthesis of mesoporous nanocrystalline silicon orthophosphate

The first synthesis of mesoporous nanocrystalline silicon orthophosphate Si5P6O25 is presented. The synthetic procedure is based on the non-hydrolytic sol–gel reaction in the presence of Pluronic P123 template and subsequent calcination in air. The condensation of silicon acetate, Si(OAc)4, and tris(trimethylsilyl)phosphate, OP(OSiMe3)3 (TTP), in non-aqueous solvents driven by elimination of trimethylsilyl acetate provides a homogeneous network with a high content of Si–O–P bonds and SiO6 moieties. After burning out the template, mesoporous silicon orthophosphate was obtained with surface areas up to 128 m2 g−1 and pore sizes around 20 nm. The nanocrystalline Si5P6O25 phase forms relatively easily (500 °C, 4 h) in comparison with other synthetic routes. All samples were characterized by SEM, TEM, elemental analysis, TGA, nitrogen adsorption, SAXS, 1H, 13C, 29Si, and 31P solid-state NMR spectroscopy, and powder XRD. These xerogels showed superior catalytic activity and selectivity in methylstyrene dimerization.

Novel non-hydrolytic templated sol–gel synthesis of mesoporous aluminosilicates and their use as aminolysis catalysts

A novel non-hydrolytic sol–gel (NHSG) synthesis of mesoporous aluminosilicate xerogels is presented. The polycondensation between silicon acetate, Si(OAc)4, and tris(dimethylamido)alane, Al(NMe2)3, leads to homogeneous aluminosilicate xerogels containing Si–O–Al linkages through dimethylacetamide elimination. The addition of Pluronic P123 and F127 templates provides stiff gels that are, after calcination at 500 °C, converted to stable mesoporous xerogels with a high surface area (>600 m2 g−1) and wormhole-type pores (d = 5.9 nm). The xerogels exhibit high catalytic activity in aminolysis of styrene oxide (82% conversion) with the turnover frequency up to 100.

Control of micro/mesoporosity in non-hydrolytic hybrid silicophosphate xerogels

Non-hydrolytic sol–gel reactions of acetoxysilanes with trimethylsilyl esters of phosphoric and phosphonic acids produce cross-linked matrices containing homogeneous dispersions of silicon and phosphoryl groups connected together by networks of Si–O–P(O) linkages. These polycondensation reactions proceed cleanly and under mild conditions for a wide variety of precursor silanes RnSi(OAc)4−n (R = alkyl, aryl; n = 1, 2) and phosphoryl compounds RP(O)(OSiMe3)2 (R = alkyl, aryl) to provide hybrid xerogels, the final properties of which are a sensitive function of the organic substituents and the Si : P ratio of the precursors. The reactions of bridged acetoxysilanes (AcO)3Si–X–Si(OAc)3 and phosphoryl reagents (Me3SiO)2P(O)–X–P(O)(OSiMe3)2 have also been investigated and found to produce gels that exhibit large surface areas (up to 700 m2 g−1). The presence of SiO6 structural units in bridged-phosphoryl xerogels is related to their microporosity while the absence of such moieties in bridged-acetoxysilane networks is congruent with significant mesoporosity. Several important parameters are identified which can be used to tailor the properties of these hybrid matrices such that gels with specific polarity, porosity and surface area can be targeted at the time of synthesis.

Construction of Larger Molecular Aluminophosphate Cages from the Cyclic Four-Ring Building Unit

New molecular aluminophosphates of different nuclearity are synthesized by a stepwise process and structurally characterized. The alkane elimination reaction of bis(trimethylsiloxy)phosphoric acid, OP(OH)(OSiMe3)2, with trialkylalanes, AlR3 (R = Me, Et, (i)Bu), provides the cyclic dimeric aluminophosphates, [(AlR2{μ2-O2P(OSiMe3)2})2] (R = Me (1), Et (2), (i)Bu (3)). Unsymmetrically substituted cyclic aluminophosphonate [(AlMe2{μ2-O2P(OSiMe3)((c)Hex)})2] (cis/trans-4) is prepared by dealkylsilylation reaction of (c)HexP(O)(OSiMe3)2 with AlMe3. Molecules 1-4 containing the [Al2(μ2-O2P)2] inorganic core are structural and spectroscopic models for the single four-ring (S4R) secondary building units (SBU) of zeolite frameworks. Compound 1 serves as a starting point in construction of larger molecular units by reactions with OP(OH)(OSiMe3)2 as a cage-extending reagent and with diketones, such as Hhfacac (1,1,1,5,5,5-hexafluoropentan-2,4-dione) and Hacac (pentan-2,4-dione), as capping reagents. Reaction of 1 with 4 equiv of Hhfacac leads to new cyclic aluminophosphate [(Al(hfacac)2{μ2-O2P(OSiMe3)2})2] (5), existing in two isomeric (D2 and C2h) forms. Reaction of 1 with 2 equiv of OP(OH)(OSiMe3)2 and 1 equiv of Hhfacac provides a molecular aluminophosphate [AlMe{Al(hfacac)}2{μ3-O3P(OSiMe3)}2{μ2-O2P(OSiMe3)2}2{OP(OSiMe3)3}] (6), while by adding first the Hhfacac and using 3 equiv of OP(OH)(OSiMe3)2 we isolate [Al{Al(hfacac)}2{μ3-O3P(OSiMe3)}2{μ2-O2P(OSiMe3)2}2H{OP(O)(OSiMe3)2}2] (7). These molecules contain units in their cores that imitate 4=1 SBU of zeolite frameworks. Reaction with the order of component mixing 1, Hhfacac, OP(OH)(OSiMe3)2 at a 1:2:2 molar ratio lead to formation of a larger cluster [(Al(AlMe){Al(hfacac)}{μ3-O3P(OSiMe3)}2{μ2-O2P(OSiMe3)2}3)2] (8) containing both S4R and 4=1 structural units. Similarly, Hacac (pentan-2,4-dione) provides an isostructural [(Al(AlMe){Al(acac)}{μ3-O3P(OSiMe3)}2{μ2-O2P(OSiMe3)2}3)2] (9). Both molecules display Al centers in three different coordination environments.

Molekulares Aluminophosphonat: isotype Modellverbindung für die sekundäre Doppel-6-Ring(D6R)-Baueinheit von Zeolithen

Bei richtiger Wahlder Grose der Substituenten an den Aluminium- und Phosphorbausteinen entsteht in der Reaktion von Alkylaluminiumverbindungen mit Phosphonsauren ein hexameres Aluminophosphonat ([MeAlO3PtBu]6). Der zentrale Kern, Al6O18P6 (siehe Bild), hat die Form einer zylindrischen Trommel, die an die Doppel-6-Ring-Baueinheit in Zeolithen erinnert.