Varinia Bernales

Sintering-resistant Single-Site Nickel Catalyst Supported by Metal-Organic Framework

Developing supported single-site catalysts is an important goal in heterogeneous catalysis since the well-defined active sites afford opportunities for detailed mechanistic studies, thereby facilitating the design of improved catalysts. We present herein a method for installing Ni ions uniformly and precisely on the node of a Zr-based metal-organic framework (MOF), NU-1000, in high density and large quantity (denoted as Ni-AIM) using atomic layer deposition (ALD) in a MOF (AIM). Ni-AIM is demonstrated to be an efficient gas-phase hydrogenation catalyst upon activation. The structure of the active sites in Ni-AIM is proposed, revealing its single-site nature. More importantly, due to the organic linker used to construct the MOF support, the Ni ions stay isolated throughout the hydrogenation catalysis, in accord with its long-term stability. A quantum chemical characterization of the catalyst and the catalytic process complements the experimental results. With validation of computational modeling protocols, we further targeted ethylene oligomerization catalysis by Ni-AIM guided by theoretical prediction. Given the generality of the AIM methodology, this emerging class of materials should prove ripe for the discovery of new catalysts for the transformation of volatile substrates.

Catalytic Silylation of Dinitrogen with a Dicobalt Complex

A dicobalt complex catalyzes N2 silylation with Me3SiCl and KC8 under 1 atm N2 at ambient temperature. Tris(trimethylsilyl)amine is formed with an initial turnover rate of 1 N(TMS)3/min, ultimately reaching a turnover number of ∼200. The dicobalt species features a metal-metal interaction, which we postulate is important to its function. Although N2 functionalization occurs at a single cobalt site, the second cobalt center modifies the electronics at the active site. Density functional calculations reveal that the Co-Co interaction evolves during the catalytic cycle: weakening upon N2 binding, breaking with silylation of the metal-bound N2 and reforming with expulsion of [N2(SiMe3)3](-).

Quantum Mechanical Continuum Solvation Models for Ionic Liquids

The quantum mechanical SMD continuum universal solvation model can be applied to predict the free energy of solvation of any solute in any solvent following specification of various macroscopic solvent parameters. For three ionic liquids where these descriptors are readily available, the SMD solvation model exhibits a mean unsigned error of 0.48 kcal/mol for 93 solvation free energies of neutral solutes and a mean unsigned error of 1.10 kcal/mol for 148 water-to-IL transfer free energies. Because the necessary solvent parameters are not always available for a given ionic liquid, we determine average values for a set of ionic liquids over which measurements have been made in order to define a generic ionic liquid solvation model, SMD-GIL. Considering 11 different ionic liquids, the SMD-GIL solvation model exhibits a mean unsigned error of 0.43 kcal/mol for 344 solvation free energies of neutral solutes and a mean unsigned error of 0.61 kcal/mol for 431 water-to-IL transfer free energies. As these errors are similar in magnitude to those typically observed when applying continuum solvation models to ordinary liquids, we conclude that the SMD universal solvation model may be applied to ionic liquids as well as ordinary liquids.

Metal–Organic Framework Supported Cobalt Catalysts for the Oxidative Dehydrogenation of Propane at Low Temperature

Zr-based metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) have been shown to be excellent catalyst supports in heterogeneous catalysis due to their exceptional stability. Additionally, their crystalline nature affords the opportunity for molecular level characterization of both the support and the catalytically active site, facilitating mechanistic investigations of the catalytic process. We describe herein the installation of Co(II) ions to the Zr6 nodes of the mesoporous MOF, NU-1000, via two distinct routes, namely, solvothermal deposition in a MOF (SIM) and atomic layer deposition in a MOF (AIM), denoted as Co-SIM+NU-1000 and Co-AIM+NU-1000, respectively. The location of the deposited Co species in the two materials is determined via difference envelope density (DED) analysis. Upon activation in a flow of O2 at 230 °C, both materials catalyze the oxidative dehydrogenation (ODH) of propane to propene under mild conditions. Catalytic activity as well as propene selectivity of these two catalysts, however, is different under the same experimental conditions due to differences in the Co species generated in these two materials upon activation as observed by in situ X-ray absorption spectroscopy. A potential reaction mechanism for the propane ODH process catalyzed by Co-SIM+NU-1000 is proposed, yielding a low activation energy barrier which is in accord with the observed catalytic activity at low temperature.

Bimetallic Cobalt–Dinitrogen Complexes: Impact of the Supporting Metal on N2 Activation

Expanding a family of cobalt bimetallic complexes, we report the synthesis of the Ti(III) metalloligand, Ti[N(o-(NCH2P((i)Pr)2)C6H4)3] (abbreviated as TiL), and three heterobimetallics that pair cobalt with an early transition metal ion: CoTiL (1), K(crypt-222)[(N2)CoVL] (2), and K(crypt-222)[(N2)CoCrL] (3). The latter two complexes, along with previously reported K(crypt-222)[(N2)CoAlL] and K(crypt-222)[(N2)Co2L], constitute an isostructural series of cobalt bimetallics that bind dinitrogen in an end-on fashion, i.e. [(N2)CoML](-). The characterization of 1-3 includes cyclic voltammetry, X-ray crystallography, and infrared spectroscopy. The [CoTiL](0/-) reduction potential is extremely negative at -3.20 V versus Fc(+)/Fc. In the CoML series where M is a transition metal, the reduction potentials shift anodically as M is varied across the first-row period. Among the [(N2)CoML](-) compounds, the dinitrogen ligand is weakly activated, as evidenced by N-N bond lengths between 1.110(8) and 1.135(4) Å and by N-N stretching frequencies between 1971 and 1995 cm(-1). Though changes in νN2 are subtle, the extent of N2 activation decreases across the first-row period. A correlation is found between the [CoML](0/-) reduction potentials and N2 activation, where the more cathodic potentials correspond to lower N-N frequencies. Theoretical calculations of the [(N2)CoML](-) complexes reveal important variations in the electronic structure and Co-M interactions, which depend on the exact nature of the supporting metal ion, M.

Effect of Unsaturation on the Absorption of Ethane and Ethylene in Imidazolium-Based Ionic Liquids

The influence of the presence of imidazolium side chain unsaturation on the solubility of ethane and ethylene was studied in three ionic liquids: 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)amide-saturated alkyl side-chain in the cation; 1-methyl-3-(buten-3-yl)imidazolium bis(trifluorosulfonyl)imide-double bond in the side-chain of the cation; and 1-methyl-3-benzylimidazolium bis(trifluorosulfonyl)imide-benzyl group in the side-chain of the cation. The solubility of both gases decreases when the side-chain of the cations is functionalized with an unsaturated group. This can be explained by a less favorable enthalpy of solvation. The difference of solubility between ethane and ethylene can be explained from a balance of enthalpic and entropic factors: for the ionic liquid with the saturated alkyl side-chain and the benzyl-substituted side-chain, it is the favorable entropy of solvation that explains the larger ethylene solubility, whereas in the case of the saturated side-chain, it is the more favorable enthalpy of solvation. Molecular simulation allowed the identification of the mechanisms of solvation and the preferential solvation sites for each gas in the different ionic liquids. Simulations have shown that the entropy of solvation is more favorable when the presence of the gas weakens the cation-anion interactions or when the gas can be solvated near different sites of the ionic liquid.

Bridging Zirconia Nodes within a Metal–Organic Framework via Catalytic Ni-Hydroxo Clusters to Form Heterobimetallic Nanowires

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), with their well-ordered pore networks and tunable surface chemistries, offer a versatile platform for preparing well-defined nanostructures wherein functionality such as catalysis can be incorporated. Notably, atomic layer deposition (ALD) in MOFs has recently emerged as a versatile approach to functionalize MOF surfaces with a wide variety of catalytic metal-oxo species. Understanding the structure of newly deposited species and how they are tethered within the MOF is critical to understanding how these components couple to govern the active material properties. By combining local and long-range structure probes, including X-ray absorption spectroscopy, pair distribution function analysis, and difference envelope density analysis, with electron microscopy imaging and computational modeling, we resolve the precise atomic structure of metal-oxo species deposited in the MOF NU-1000 through ALD. These analyses demonstrate that deposition of NiOxHy clusters occurs selectively within the smallest pores of NU-1000, between the zirconia nodes, serving to connect these nodes along the c-direction to yield heterobimetallic metal-oxo nanowires. This bridging motif perturbs the NU-1000 framework structure, drawing the zirconia nodes closer together, and also underlies the sintering resistance of these clusters during the hydrogenation of light olefins.

Unprecedented selectivity in molecular recognition of carbohydrates by a metal–organic framework

Metal-organic framework (MOF) material NU-1000 adsorbs dimers cellobiose and lactose from aqueous solution, in amounts exceeding 1250 mg gNU-1000(-1) while completely excluding the adsorption of the monomer glucose, even in a competitive mode with cellobiose. The MOF also discriminates between dimers consisting of α and β linkages, showing no adsorption of maltose. Electronic structure calculations demonstrate that key to this selective molecular recognition is the number of favorable CH-π interactions made by the sugar with pyrene units of the MOF.

Uranyl Peroxide Cage Cluster Solubility in Water and the Role of the Electrical Double Layer

Uranium concentrations as high as 2.94 × 105 parts per million (1.82 mol of U/1 kg of H2O) occur in water containing nanoscale uranyl cage clusters. The anionic cage clusters, with diameters of 1.5-2.5 nm, are charge-balanced by encapsulated cations, as well as cations within their electrical double layer in solution. The concentration of uranium in these systems is impacted by the countercations (K, Li, Na), and molecular dynamics simulations have predicted their distributions in selected cases. Formation of uranyl cages prevents hydrolysis reactions that would result in formation of insoluble uranyl solids under alkaline conditions, and these spherical clusters reach concentrations that require close packing in solution.

Computationally-Guided Assignment of Unexpected Signals in the Raman Spectra of Uranyl Triperoxide Complexes

Combination of uranium, peroxide, and mono- (Na, K) or divalent (Mg, Ca, Sr) cations under alkaline aqueous conditions results in the rapid formation of anionic uranyl triperoxide monomers (UTs), (UO2(O2)3)4-, exhibiting unique Raman signatures. Electronic structure calculations were decisive for the interpretation of the spectra and assignment of unexpected signals associated with vibrations of the uranyl and peroxide ions. Assignments were verified by 18O isotopic labeling of the uranyl ions supporting the computational-based interpretation of the experimentally observed peaks and the assignment of a novel asymmetric vibration of the peroxide ligands, v2(O22-).