Activation of Methane Promoted by Adsorption of CO on Mo2C2− Cluster Anions

Atomic clusters are being actively studied for activation of methane, the most stable alkane molecule. While many cluster cations are very reactive with methane, the cluster anions are usually not very reactive, particularly for noble metal free anions. This study reports that the reactivity of molybdenum carbide cluster anions with methane can be much enhanced by adsorption of CO. The Mo₂C₂^? is inert with CH₄ while the CO addition product Mo₂C₃O^? brings about dehydrogenation of CH₄ under thermal collision conditions. The cluster structures and reactions are characterized by mass spectrometry, photoelectron spectroscopy, and quantum chemistry calculations, which demonstrate that the Mo₂C₃O^? isomer with dissociated CO is reactive but the one with non‐dissociated CO is unreactive. The enhancement of cluster reactivity promoted by CO adsorption in this study is compared with those of reported systems of a few carbonyl complexes.     

Thermal Methane Activation by La6O10− Cluster Anions

The first example of a metal oxide cluster anion, La₆O₁₀^? that can activate methane under ambient conditions is reported. This reaction is facilitated by the oxygen‐centered radical (O^??) and follows the hydrogen atom transfer mechanism. The La₆O₁₀^? has a high vertical electron detachment energy (VDE=4.06 eV) and a high symmetry (C_4v).     

Thermal Conversion of Methane to Formaldehyde Promoted by Gold in AuNbO3+ Cluster Cations

In addition to generation of a methyl radical, formation of a formaldehyde molecule was observed in the thermal reaction of methane with AuNbO₃⁺ heteronuclear oxide cluster cations. The clusters were prepared by laser ablation and mass‐selected to react with CH₄ in an ion‐trap reactor under thermal collision conditions. The reaction was studied by mass spectrometry and DFT calculations. The latter indicated that the gold atom promotes formaldehyde formation through transformation of an Au?O bond into an Au?Nb bond during the reaction.     

Multiple CO Oxidation Promoted by Au2 Dimers in Au2TiO4− Cluster Anions

Time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry experiments demonstrated that laser ablation generated and mass selected Au₂TiO₄^? cluster anions can unexpectedly oxidize three CO molecules in an ion trap reactor. This is an improvement on the more commonly observed oxidation of at most two CO molecules by a doped cluster. Quantum chemistry calculations were performed to rationalize the reactions. The lowest energy isomer of Au₂TiO₄^? contains a superoxide unit, the participation of which in CO oxidation can be promoted by the Au₂ dimer. The Au₂ dimer functions as a rather flexible electron reservoir in each CO oxidation step in terms of the release and storage of electrons to drive the dissociation of superoxide to peroxide and then to lattice oxygen atoms, which can be removed by reaction with CO molecules. This gas‐phase study enriches our understanding toward the nature of reactive oxygen species involved in gold‐catalyzed oxidation reactions.     

CO Oxidation Promoted by the Gold Dimer in Au2VO3− and Au2VO4− Clusters

Investigations on the reactivity of atomic clusters have led to the identification of the elementary steps involved in catalytic CO oxidation, a prototypical reaction in heterogeneous catalysis. The atomic oxygen species O^.? and O^2? bonded to early‐transition‐metal oxide clusters have been shown to oxidize CO. This study reports that when an Au₂ dimer is incorporated within the cluster, the molecular oxygen species O₂^2? bonded to vanadium can be activated to oxidize CO under thermal collision conditions. The gold dimer was doped into Au₂VO₄^? cluster ions which then reacted with CO in an ion‐trap reactor to produce Au₂VO₃^? and then Au₂VO₂^?. The dynamic nature of gold in terms of electron storage and release promotes CO oxidation and O? O bond reduction. The oxidation of CO by atomic clusters in this study parallels similar behavior reported for the oxidation of CO by supported gold catalysts.     

Methane Activation Mediated by a Series of Cerium–Vanadium Bimetallic Oxide Cluster Cations: Tuning Reactivity by Doping

The reactions of cerium–vanadium cluster cations Ce_xV_yO_z⁺ with CH₄ are investigated by time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry and density functional theory calculations. (CeO₂)_m(V₂O₅)_n⁺ clusters (m=1,2, n=1–5; m=3, n=1–4) with dimensions up to nanosize can abstract one hydrogen atom from CH₄. The theoretical study indicates that there are two types of active species in (CeO₂)_m(V₂O₅)_n⁺, V[(O_t)₂]^. and [(O_b)₂CeO_t]^. (O_t and O_b represent terminal and bridging oxygen atoms, respectively); the former is less reactive than the latter. The experimentally observed size‐dependent reactivities can be rationalized by considering the different active species and mechanisms. Interestingly, the reactivity of the (CeO₂)_m(V₂O₅)_n⁺ clusters falls between those of (CeO₂)_2–4⁺ and (V₂O₅)_1–5⁺ in terms of C?H bond activation, thus the nature of the active species and the cluster reactivity can be effectively tuned by doping.     

Formation of Acetylene in the Reaction of Methane with Iron Carbide Cluster Anions FeC3− under High‐Temperature Conditions

The underlying mechanism for non‐oxidative methane aromatization remains controversial owing to the lack of experimental evidence for the formation of the first C?C bond. For the first time, the elementary reaction of methane with atomic clusters (FeC₃^?) under high‐temperature conditions to produce C?C coupling products has been characterized by mass spectrometry. With the elevation of temperature from 300 K to 610 K, the production of acetylene, the important intermediate proposed in a monofunctional mechanism of methane aromatization, was significantly enhanced, which can be well‐rationalized by quantum chemistry calculations. This study narrows the gap between gas‐phase and condensed‐phase studies on methane conversion and suggests that the monofunctional mechanism probably operates in non‐oxidative methane aromatization.     

Catalytic CO Oxidation by O2 Mediated by Noble‐Metal‐Free Cluster Anions Cu2VO3–5−

Catalytic CO oxidation by molecular O₂ is an important model reaction in both the condensed phase and gas‐phase studies. Available gas‐phase studies indicate that noble metal is indispensable in catalytic CO oxidation by O₂ under thermal collision conditions. Herein, we identified the first example of noble‐metal‐free heteronuclear oxide cluster catalysts, the copper–vanadium bimetallic oxide clusters Cu₂VO_3–5^? for CO oxidation by O₂. The reactions were characterized by mass spectrometry, photoelectron spectroscopy, and density functional calculations. The dynamic nature of the Cu?Cu unit in terms of the electron storage and release is the driving force to promote CO oxidation and O₂ activation during the catalysis.     

Thermal Ethane Activation by Bare [V2O5]+ and [Nb2O5]+ Cluster Cations: on the Origin of Their Different Reactivities

The gas‐phase reactivity of [V₂O₅]⁺ and [Nb₂O₅]⁺ towards ethane has been investigated by means of mass spectrometry and density functional theory (DFT) calculations. The two metal oxides give rise to the formation of quite different reaction products; for example, the direct room‐temperature conversions C₂H₆→C₂H₅OH or C₂H₆→CH₃CHO are brought about solely by [V₂O₅]⁺. In distinct contrast, for the couple [Nb₂O₅]⁺/C₂H₆, one observes only single and double hydrogen‐atom abstraction from the hydrocarbon. DFT calculations reveal that different modes of attack in the initial phase of C?H bond activation together with quite different bond‐dissociation energies of the M?O bonds cause the rather varying reactivities of [V₂O₅]⁺ and [Nb₂O₅]⁺ towards ethane. The gas‐phase generation of acetaldehyde from ethane by bare [V₂O₅]⁺ may provide mechanistic insight in the related vanadium‐catalyzed large‐scale process.     

Polybismuthide Anions as Ligands: The Homoleptic Complex [(Bi7)Cd(Bi7)]4− and the Ternary Cluster [(Bi6)Zn3(TlBi5)]4−

We present the results from a reactivity study of the binary anion (TlBi₃)^2? towards Group 12 metal compounds MPh₂ (M=Zn, Cd, Hg) to gain access to coordination compounds of polycyclic polypnictide molecules such as Bi₇^3? or Bi₁₁^3?. The coordination chemistry of these polybismuthide cages has been unprecedented to date, while it has been known for a long time for the lighter Group 15 anions Pn₇^3? (Pn=P, As, Sb). The use of (TlBi₃)^2?, previously shown to release Tl under certain conditions in situ, resulted in the formation of the first heterometallic polyanion in which a nortricyclane‐type polybismuthide coordinates a transition‐metal atom, [(Bi₇)Cd(Bi₇)]^4?. Reactions with the lighter Group 12 metal precursor yielded the uncommon ternary cluster [(Bi₆)Zn₃(TlBi₅)]^4?, most likely representing a reaction intermediate, and at the same time hinting at the formation of the nortricyclane‐shaped cage. Quantum‐chemical studies provide deeper insight into the stability trends of the [(E₇)M(E₇)]^4? anion family and reveal a complex bonding situation in [(Bi₆)Zn₃(TlBi₅)]^4?, which features both localized and multi‐center bonding.     

Direct Conversion of Methane with Carbon Dioxide Mediated by RhVO3− Cluster Anions

Direct conversion of methane with carbon dioxide to value‐added chemicals is attractive but extremely challenging because of the thermodynamic stability and kinetic inertness of both molecules. Herein, the first dinuclear cluster species, RhVO₃^?, has been designed to mediate the co‐conversion of CH₄ and CO₂ to oxygenated products, CH₃OH and CH₂O, in the temperature range of 393–600 K. The resulting cluster ions RhVO₃CO^? after CH₃OH formation can further desorb the [CO] unit to regenerate the RhVO₃^? cluster, leading to the successful establishment of a catalytic cycle for methanol production from CH₄ and CO₂ (CH₄+CO₂→CH₃OH+CO). The exceptional activity of Rh‐V dinuclear oxide cluster (RhVO₃^?) identified herein provides a new mechanism for co‐conversion of two very stable molecules CH₄ and CO₂.     

Activation of Methane and Ethane as Mediated by the Triatomic Anion HNbN−: Electronic Structure Similarity with a Pt Atom

Investigations of the intrinsic properties of gas‐phase transition metal nitride (TMN) ions represent one approach to gain a fundamental understanding of the active sites of TMN catalysts, the activities and electronic structures of which are known to be comparable to those of noble metal catalysts. Herein, we investigate the structures and reactivities of the triatomic anions HNbN^? by means of mass spectrometry and photoelectron imaging spectroscopy, in conjunction with density functional theory calculations. The HNbN^? anions are capable of activating CH₄ and C₂H₆ through oxidative addition, exhibiting similar reactivities to free Pt atoms. The similar electronic structures of HNbN^? and Pt, especially the active orbitals, are responsible for this resemblance. Compared to the inert NbN^?, the coordination of the H atom in HNbN^? is indispensable. New insights into how to replace noble metals with TMNs may be derived from this combined experimental/computational study.     

Selective Activation of the C−H Bond in Methane by Single Platinum Atomic Anions

Mass spectrometric analysis of the anionic products of interaction between platinum atomic anions, Pt^?, and methane, CH₄ and CD₄, in a collision cell shows the preferred generation of [PtCH₄]^? and [PtCD₄]^? complexes and a low tendency toward dehydrogenation. [PtCH₄]^? is shown to be H?Pt?CH₃^? by a synergy between anion photoelectron spectroscopy and quantum chemical calculations, implying the rupture of a single C?H bond. The calculated reaction pathway accounts for the observed selective activation of methane by Pt^?. This study presents the first example of methane activation by a single atomic anion.     

The Mixed Gold–Palladium Polyoxo‐Noble‐Metalate [NaAuIII4PdII8O8(AsO4)8]11−

The first fully inorganic, discrete gold–palladium–oxo complex [NaAu^III₄Pd^II₈O₈(AsO₄)₈]^11? has been synthesized in aqueous medium. The combination of single‐crystal XRD, elemental analysis, mass spectrometry, and DFT calculations allowed establishing the structure and composition of the novel polyanion, and UV/Vis studies suggest that it is stable in neutral aqueous media.     

The Effect of Platinum on Diffusion Kinetics in β‐NiAl: Implications for Thermal Barrier Coating Lifetimes

Platinum is added to thermal barrier coatings (TBCs) as it is observed empirically to extend their lifetime, but the mechanism by which Pt acts is unknown. Since Pt has been proposed to alter diffusivities in NiAl, a key component of TBCs, we use first‐principles quantum mechanics calculations to investigate atomic level diffusion mechanisms. Here, we examine the effect of Pt on five previously proposed mechanisms for Ni diffusion in NiAl: next‐nearest‐neighbor jumps, the triple defect mechanism, and three variants of the six jump cycle. We predict that Pt increases the rate of Ni diffusion by stabilizing point defects and defect clusters that are diffusion intermediates. Previously, we predicted the triple defect mechanism to be a dominant Ni diffusion mechanism; it simultaneously results in long‐range Al diffusion in the opposite direction. Since Pt increases the rate of Ni diffusion, it also increases Al diffusion in NiAl, which may be key to extending the coating lifetime.