Experimental and theoretical study of the reactions between small neutral iron oxide clusters and carbon monoxide

Reactions of small neutral iron oxide clusters (FeO(1-3) and Fe(2)O(4,5)) with carbon monoxide (CO) are investigated by experiments and first-principle calculations. The iron oxide clusters are generated by reaction of laser-ablation-generated iron plasma with O(2) in a supersonic expansion and are reacted with carbon monoxide in a fast flow reactor. Detection of the neutral clusters is through ionization with vacuum UV laser (118 nm) radiation and time-of-flight mass spectrometry. The FeO(2) and FeO(3) neutral clusters are reactive toward CO, whereas Fe(2)O(4), Fe(2)O(5), and possibly FeO are not reactive. A higher reactivity for FeO(2) [sigma(FeO(2) + CO) > 3 x 10(-17) cm(2)] than for FeO(3) [sigma(FeO(3) + CO) approximately 1 x 10(-17) cm(2)] is observed. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations are carried out to interpret the experimental observations and to generate the reaction mechanisms. The reaction pathways with negative or very small overall barriers are identified for CO oxidation by FeO(2) and FeO(3). The lower reactivity of FeO(3) with respect to FeO(2) may be related to a spin inversion process present in the reaction of FeO(3) with CO. Significant reaction barriers are calculated for the reactions of FeO and Fe(2)O(4-5) with CO. The DFT results are in good agreement with experimental observations. Molecular-level reaction mechanisms for CO oxidation by O(2), facilitated by condensed phase iron oxides as catalysts, are suggested.     

Experimental and theoretical studies of reactions of neutral vanadium and tantalum oxide clusters with NO and NH3

Reactions of neutral vanadium and tantalum oxide clusters with NO, NH(3), and an NO/NH(3) mixture in a fast flow reactor are investigated by time of flight mass spectrometry and density functional theory (DFT) calculations. Single photon ionization through a 46.9 nm (26.5 eV) extreme ultraviolet (EUV) laser is employed to detect both neutral cluster distributions and reaction products. Association products VO(3)NO and V(2)O(5)NO are detected for V(m)O(n) clusters reacting with pure NO, and reaction products, TaO(3,4)(NO)(1,2), Ta(2)O(5)NO, Ta(2)O(6)(NO)(1-3), and Ta(3)O(8)(NO)(1,2) are generated for Ta(m)O(n) clusters reacting with NO. In both instances, oxygen-rich clusters are the active metal oxide species for the reaction M(m)O(n)+NO→M(m)O(n)(NO)(x). Both V(m)O(n) and Ta(m)O(n) cluster systems are very active with NH(3). The main products of the reactions with NH(3) result from the adsorption of one or two NH(3) molecules on the respective clusters. A gas mixture of NO:NH(3) (9:1) is also added into the fast flow reactor: the V(m)O(n) cluster system forms stable, observable clusters with only NH(3) and no V(m)O(n)(NO)(x)(NH(3))(y) species are detected; the Ta(m)O(n) cluster system forms stable, observable mixed clusters, Ta(m)O(n)(NO)(x)(NH(3))(y), as well as Ta(m)O(n)(NO)(x) and Ta(m)O(n)(NH(3))(y) individual clusters, under similar conditions. The mechanisms for the reactions of neutral V(m)O(n) and Ta(m)O(n) clusters with NO/NH(3) are explored via DFT calculations. Ta(m)O(n) clusters form stable complexes based on the coadsorption of NO and NH(3). V(m)O(n) clusters form weakly bound complexes following the reaction pathway toward end products N(2)+H(2)O without barrier. The calculations give an interpretation of the experimental data that is consistent with the condensed phase reactivity of V(m)O(n) catalyst and suggest the formation of intermediates in the catalytic chemistry.     

Nitric oxide decomposition on small rhodium clusters, Rh(n)+/-

The decomposition of nitric oxide on small charged rhodium clusters Rh(n)(+/-) (6 < n < 30) has been investigated by Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry. For both cationic and anionic naked clusters, the rates of reaction with NO increase smoothly with cluster size in the range studied without the dramatic size-dependent fluctuations often associated with the reactions of transition-metal clusters. The cationic clusters react significantly faster than the anions and both exhibit rate constants exceeding collision rates calculated by average dipole orientation theory. Both the approximate magnitude and the trends in reactivity are modeled well by the surface charge capture model recently proposed by Kummerl?we and Beyer. All clusters studied here exhibit pseudo-first-order kinetics with no sign of biexponential kinetics often interpreted as evidence for multiple isomeric structures. Experiments involving prolonged exposure to NO have revealed interesting size-dependent trends in the mechanism and efficiency of NO decomposition: For most small clusters (n < 17), once two NO molecules are coadsorbed on a cluster, N(2) is evolved, generating the corresponding dioxide cluster. By analogy with experiments on extended surfaces, this observation is interpreted in terms of the dissociative adsorption of NO in the early stages of reaction, generating N atoms that are mobile on the surface of the cluster. For clusters where n < 13, this chemistry, which occurs independently of the cluster charge, repeats until a size-dependent, limiting oxygen coverage is achieved. Following this, NO is observed to adsorb on the oxide cluster without further N(2) evolution. For n = 14-16 no single end-point is observed and reaction products are based on a small range of oxide structures. By contrast, no evidence for N(2) production is observed for clusters n = 13 and n > 16, for which simple sequential NO adsorption dominates the chemistry. Interestingly, there is no evidence for the production of N(2)O or NO(2) on any of the clusters studied. A simple general mechanism is proposed that accounts for all observations. The detailed decomposition mechanisms for each cluster exhibit size (and, by implication, structure) dependent features with Rh(13)(+/-) particularly anomalous by comparison with neighboring clusters.     

Experimental and theoretical study of the reactions between neutral vanadium oxide clusters and ethane, ethylene, and acetylene

Reactions of neutral vanadium oxide clusters with small hydrocarbons, namely C2H6, C2H4, and C2H2, are investigated by experiment and density functional theory (DFT) calculations. Single photon ionization through extreme ultraviolet (EUV, 46.9 nm, 26.5 eV) and vacuum ultraviolet (VUV, 118 nm, 10.5 eV) lasers is used to detect neutral cluster distributions and reaction products. The most stable vanadium oxide clusters VO2, V2O5, V3O7, V4O10, etc. tend to associate with C2H4 generating products V(m)O(n)C2H4. Oxygen-rich clusters VO3(V2O5)(n=0,1,2...), (e.g., VO3, V3O8, and V5O13) react with C2H4 molecules to cause a cleavage of the C=C bond of C2H4 to produce (V2O5)(n)VO2CH2 clusters. For the reactions of vanadium oxide clusters (V(m)O(n)) with C2H2 molecules, V(m)O(n)C2H2 are assigned as the major products of the association reactions. Additionally, a dehydration reaction for VO3 + C2H2 to produce VO2C2 is also identified. C2H6 molecules are quite stable toward reaction with neutral vanadium oxide clusters. Density functional theory calculations are employed to investigate association reactions for V2O5 + C2H(x). The observed relative reactivity of C2 hydrocarbons toward neutral vanadium oxide clusters is well interpreted by using the DFT calculated binding energies. DFT calculations of the pathways for VO3+C2H4 and VO3+C2H2 reaction systems indicate that the reactions VO3+C2H4 --> VO2CH2 + H2CO and VO3+C2H2 --> VO2C2 + H2O are thermodynamically favorable and overall barrierless at room temperature, in good agreement with the experimental observations.     

Identification, structure, and spectroscopy of neutral vanadium oxide clusters

Neutral vanadium oxide clusters are studied by photoionization time-of-flight (TOF) mass spectroscopy, electronic spectroscopy, and density functional theory (DFT) calculations. Mass spectra of vanadium oxide clusters are observed by photoionization with lasers of three different wavelengths: 118, 193, and 355 nm. Mechanisms of 118 nm single photon ionization and 193 and 355 nm multiphoton ionization/fragmentation of vanadium oxide clusters are discussed on the basis of observed mass spectral patterns and line widths of the mass spectral features. Only the 118 nm laser light can ionize vanadium oxide neutral species by single photon ionization without fragmentation. The stable vanadium oxide neutral clusters under saturated oxygen growth conditions are found to be of the form (VO2)x(V2O5)y. Structures of the first few members of this series of clusters are determined through high level DFT calculations. Fragmentation of this series of clusters through 355 and 193 nm multiphoton ionization processes is discussed in light of these calculated structures. The B(2)B2 <-- X(2)A1 transition is observed for the VO2 neutral species, and nu1 and nu2 vibrations are assigned for both electronic states. From this spectrum, the VO2 rotational and vibrational temperatures are found to be approximately 50 and approximately 700 K, respectively.     

Hydrogenation reactions of ethylene on neutral vanadium sulfide clusters: experimental and theoretical studies

The reactions of C(2)H(4) with H(2) on neutral vanadium sulfide clusters in a fast flow reactor are investigated by time-of-flight mass spectrometry employing 118 nm (10.5 eV) single photon ionization. The experimental products of these reactions are V(m)S(n)C(2)H(x) (m=1, n=1-3; m=2, n=1-5, and x=4-6). Observation of these products indicates that these V(m)S(n) clusters have high catalytic activity for hydrogenation reactions of C(2)H(4). Density functional theory calculations at the BPW91/TZVP level are carried out to explore the geometric and electronic structures of the V(m)S(n) clusters and to determine reaction intermediates and transition states, as well as reaction mechanisms. All reactions are estimated as overall barrierless or with only a small barrier (0.1 eV), and are thermodynamically favorable processes at room temperature. The ethylene molecule is predicted to connect with active V atoms through its π-orbital or form a σ-bond with active V atoms of catalytic V(m)S(n) clusters. The S atoms bonding with active V atoms play an important role in the dissociation of the H(2) molecule; H atoms transfer to the C(2)H(4) (one after another) following breaking of the H-H bond. A catalytic cycle for C(2)H(4) hydrogenation reactions on a vanadium sulfide catalyst surface is suggested based on our experimental and theoretical investigations.     

Catalytic oxidation of methanol on Pd metal and oxide clusters at near-ambient temperatures

Supported Pd clusters catalyze methanol oxidation to methyl formate with high turnover rates and >90% selectivity at near ambient temperatures (313 K). Metal clusters are much more reactive than PdO clusters and rates are inhibited by the reactant O(2). These data suggest that ensembles of Pd metal atoms on surfaces nearly saturated with chemisorbed oxygen are required for kinetically-relevant C-H bond activation in chemisorbed methoxide intermediates. Pd metal surfaces become more reactive with increasing metal particle size. The higher coordination of surface atoms on larger clusters leads to more weakly-bound chemisorbed species and to a larger number of Pd metal ensembles available during steady-state catalysis. Chemisorbed oxygen removes H-atoms formed in C-H bond activation steps and inhibits methoxide decomposition and CO(2) formation, two functions essential for the high turnover rates and methyl formate selectivities reported here.     

Catalytic scaffolding ligands: an efficient strategy for directing reactions

The design and application of a scaffolding ligand that promotes branch and diastereoselective hydroformylation of terminal olefins as well as the regio- and diastereoselective hydroformylation of disubstituted olefins is reported. It is shown that the ligand covalently and reversibly bonds to the substrate, allowing for directed hydroformylation. As the substrate ligand interaction is dynamic, hydroformylations are catalytic in ligand and do not require any additional synthetic steps to add or remove the directing group. Using a catalytic quantity of a scaffolding ligand (20-25 mol %), excellent regioselectivity for disubstituted olefins (up to 98:2) and high branch selectivity (up to 88:12) for terminal olefins were obtained.     

Structural and electronic study of neutral,positive, and negative small rhodium clusters [Rhn,Rh, and Rh]

We have carried out a systematic study for the determination of the structure and the fundamental state of neutral and ionic small rhodium clusters [Rh_n, Rh, Rh (n = 5–10)] using ab initio Hartree‐Fock methods with a LANL2DZ basis set. A range of spin multiplicities is studied for each cluster. We present the bond lengths and angles and geometric configuration adopted for the clusters in its minimum energy conformation showing the differences when the clusters have different number of unpaired electrons. In addition, we report the vertical ionization potential and the adiabatic potential calculated by the Koopman's theorem. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem 110:2541–2547, 2010     

Ionic liquid effects on Mizoroki-Heck reactions: more than just carbene complex formation

Reaction profiles for a Mizoroki-Heck reaction in either an ionic liquid or a molecular solvent with different palladium sources demonstrate that the rate enhancements observed in ionic liquids cannot be solely attributed to Pd-carbene complex formation.     

Four novel Z-shaped hexanuclear vanadium oxide clusters as efficient heterogeneous catalysts for cycloaddition of CO2 and oxidative desulfurization reactions

Chemical fixation of CO₂ into C1 source, as a general approach, can effectively alleviate the emission of greenhouse gasses. Whereas, the challenge posed by the need for efficient catalysts with high catalytic active sites still exists. In this work, we reported a series of new hexavanadate clusters, [(C₆H₆ON)₂(C₂H₈N₂)₂(CH₃O)₆V^IV₆O₈] (V₆–1), [(C₆H₆ON)₂(C₃H₁₀N₂)₂(CH₃O)₆V^IV₆O₈] (V₆–2), [(C₆H₆ON)₂(C₆H₁₄N₂)₂(CH₃O)₆V^IV₆O₈] (V₆–3) and [(C₆H₆ON)₂(C₄H₁₁N₂O)₂(CH₃O)₄V^IV₆O₈] (V₆–4), assembled by 2-aminophenol and four different kinds of Lewis bases (LB), ethanediamine (en), 1,2-diaminopropane, 1,2-cyclohexanediamine and N-(2-hydroxyethyl)ethylenediamine (ben) together. Among them, the basic unit {V₆} cluster featured Z-shaped configuration represents a brand-new example of hexanuclear vanadium clusters. Remarkably, the catalytic tests demonstrated that V₆–1 as catalyst displays high catalytic activity in the cycloaddition for the CO₂ fixation into cyclic carbonates by virtue of open V sites. As expected, for oxidative desulfurization of sulfides, V₆–1 also exhibits satisfied catalytic effectiveness. Furthermore, the recycling test confirmed that catalyst V₆–1 may be a bifunctional heterogeneous catalyst with great promise for both CO₂ cycloaddition and oxidative desulfurization reactions.     

Size-dependent carbon monoxide adsorption on neutral gold clusters

We report on experiments probing the reactivity of neutral Au(n) clusters, n = 9-68, with carbon monoxide. The gold clusters are produced in a pulsed laser vaporization cluster source, operated at room temperature (RT) or at liquid-nitrogen temperature (LNT), pass through a low-pressure reaction cell containing CO gas, and are subsequently laser ionized. The reaction probabilities are determined by recording mass abundance spectra with time-of-flight mass spectrometry. The main observations are a strong temperature dependence and a remarkable size dependence. Upon cooling of the cluster source to LNT, the reactivity increases substantially. At LNT, the reaction probabilities for Au(n) with the first CO molecule are about a factor 10 higher than at RT. Moreover, adsorption of two, three, and even four CO molecules is observed, in contrast to RT clusters which at most adsorb one CO molecule. This temperature dependence is related to the lifetime of the cluster-molecule complexes, being much longer for cold clusters. The observed striking size dependence is similar at both temperatures and is discussed in terms of the electronic structure effects.     

Catalytic isomerization of allylbenzene on organomagnesium clusters

Catalytic isomerization of allylbenzene to form trans-β-methylstyrene quantitatively occurs on the magnesium-anthracene cluster adduct under mild conditions. A low-stability organomagnesium compound, presumably of the cluster nature and active in catalytic allylbenzene isomerization, is formed by cocondensation of magnesium and allylbenzene vapors at the liquid nitrogen temperature. The products of low-temperature solid-phase reactions of magnesium with hydrocarbons containing aromatic rings exhibit high catalytic activity in the allyl isomerization of allylbenzene. __________ Published in Russian in Izvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 5, pp. 1155–1158, May, 2005.     

Catalytic nonthermal plasma using efficient cobalt oxide catalyst for complete mineralization of toluene

Research on Chemical Intermediates - The remarkable rise in industrial utilization of volatile organic compounds has increased their presence in environmental matrices, which is a menace for human...     

Polyborane reactions in ionic liquids: new efficient routes to functionalized decaborane and o-carborane clusters

In contrast to reactions that have been observed in traditional organic solvents, decaborane olefin-hydroboration and alkyne-insertion reactions have been found to proceed in ionic liquid solvents without the need of a catalyst. These reactions now provide important new, high-yield synthetic pathways to functionalized decaborane and o-carborane clusters.     

铜配合物修饰的钼氧簇超分子化合物催化烯烃环氧化

近年来,含有过渡金属配合物和多金属氧酸盐的三维超分子化合物的合成与性能研究受到广泛关注.利用过渡金属配合物优良的可裁剪性和修饰性,可以对多金属氧酸盐化合物的结构和性质进行有效调控,进而构造出具有独特空间结构和性质的新型功能材料.这类材料往往具有多金属氧酸盐与过渡金属配合物两者结合的优点,在医学、光学、磁性材料、气体吸附材料及催化等领域显示出重要的学术研究价值和潜在的应用前景.然而,相比于在化合物合成及结构研究领域中的快速发展,过渡金属配合物修饰的多金属氧酸盐基化合物在催化领域中应用较少.本文采用水热合成法,以4,4′-联吡啶(bipy)或1,4′-双咪唑-1-甲基苯(bix)为氮杂环配体,合成了两个铜配合物修饰的钼氧簇超分子化合物催化剂,分别记为[Cu(bipy)]4[Mo15O47]·2H2O (1)和[Cu(bix)][(Cubix)(δ-Mo8O26)0.5](2).催化剂1中包含一个由铜的4,4′-联吡啶有机链修饰的钼氧簇链,催化剂2是由1,4′-双咪唑-1-甲基苯有机配体、铜离子和八钼酸盐构筑的具有自穿插结构的超分子化合物.通过以叔丁基过氧化氢为氧化剂的烯烃环氧化催化反应,考察了两种催化剂的催化性能.结果表明,催化剂1和2对环辛烯或1-辛烯环氧化反应表现出较高的催化活性,性能均明显优于未引入铜配合物的超分子化合物(H2bix)[(Hbix)2(γ-Mo8O26)]2·H2O (3);在相同反应条件下,催化剂1表现出更高的催化活性;溶剂种类显著影响催化剂的催化性能,以乙腈为溶剂时,苯乙烯环氧化反应主产物为苯甲醛(仅有很少量的环氧化合物),而以氯仿为溶剂时,环氧化合物选择性显著提高;中断实验和循环测试结果表明,催化剂1和2在1-辛烯环氧化反应中均表现出良好的稳定性和循环使用性. FT-IR和XRD表征结果证实,经多次循环使用后催化剂结构基本保持不变,表明催化剂具有良好的结构稳定性. XPS表征结果表明,催化剂1中钼的正电性高于催化剂2,这是由于配体类型不同及钼氧簇结构不同所致.拥有较高正电性的钼物种通常会表现出更高的催化烯烃环氧化反应能力,这可能是催化剂1的催化活性优于催化剂2的主要原因.此外,通过结构分析可以看出,催化剂1具有更开放的框架结构,这更有利于反应物扩散,继而使催化剂表现出更高的催化活性.需要指出的是,催化剂1和2中存在的铜配合物也可能直接作为新的活性中心参与对氧化剂的活化,继而对催化剂性能(活性和选择性)产生影响;此外,铜配合物与钼氧簇之间较强的相互作用使所形成的超分子化合物具有良好的结构稳定性,继而使这类超分子化合物催化剂表现出较为优异的稳定性和循环使用性.     

Express analysis of the structural properties of water clusters containing more than 12 water molecules and impurities

An express analysis technique for the determination of the structural properties of water clusters with impurities and the number of contained water molecules more than 12 is developed. The technique is based on the derivation of three matrices for a water cluster, which makes it possible to write down the unique code characterizing its structure. The technique significantly decreases the computation time (approximately 10⁴ times) in comparison with the procedure developed previously [1], and consequently, allows the analysis of the structural properties of aqueous systems with a large number of molecules on usual PCs. In order to illustrate the technique the code for the typical configuration of the (H₂O)₁₃ cluster is determined within the water model at a temperature of 268 K and a density of 0.99930 g/cm³.     

Nickel-catalyzed, carbonyl-ene-type reactions: selective for alpha olefins and more efficient with electron-rich aldehydes

Described are several classes of unusual or unprecedented carbonyl-ene-type reactions, including those between alpha olefins and aromatic aldehydes. Catalyzed by nickel, these processes complement existing Lewis acid-catalyzed methods in several respects. Not only are monosubstituted alkenes, aromatic aldehydes, and tert-alkyl aldehydes effective substrates, but monosubstituted olefins also react faster than those that are more substituted, and large or electron-rich aldehydes are more effective than small or electron-poor ones. Conceptually, in the presence of a nickel-phosphine catalyst, the combination of off-the-shelf alkenes, silyl triflates, and triethylamine functions as a replacement for an allylmetal reagent.     

Chemisorption and chemical reactions on size selected clusters

Low energy ion beam techniques have been used to perform a detailed study of the reactions of Al ₂₅ ⁺ and Si ₂₅ ⁺ with a range of simple molecules (D₂, CH₄, O₂, C₂H₄, CO and N₂). The reactions were studied over a center of mass collision energy range from 0.2eV up to 7eV. Activation barriers for chemisorption onto the clusters were deduced from the experimental results. The activation barriers for chemisorption on Al ₂₅ ⁺ and Si ₂₅ ⁺ are generally similar and show a qualitative correlation with the electronic properties of the reactant molecule. However, the products of the chemical reactions of Al ₂₅ ⁺ and Si ₂₅ ⁺ which result from cluster fragmentation are quite different. Si ₂₅ ⁺ shows a tendency to undergo fission as observed in a number of recent studies of the dissociation of the bare clusters.     

Fragmentation reactions of molecular dications of aromatic heterocyclic fused-ring compounds containing more than one nitrogen atom

Fragmentation reactions of both metastable and collisionally activated dications, formed by electron impact ionization of heterocyclic fused-ring aromatic compounds containing more than one nitrogen atom, were investigated. This work is an extension of similar work on analogous compounds containing just one nitrogen atom and on the related polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. The results obtained are interpreted in terms of mechanistic proposals concerning the competition between charge-separation and neutral-expulsion reactions, based on variations in diradical character with increasing molecular size and nitrogen content of these molecular dications.