Metal Redox Processes for the Controlled Synthesis of Metal Alloy Nanoparticles

Nanocrystalline metals have received widespread interest and found various applications owing to their magnetic and catalytic properties and in energy‐related fields. A flexible approach for the growth of nanoalloys with controlled properties and well‐defined structures on the atomic scale is thus greatly desired. A new synthetic method that avoids incompatible reduction potentials and rates would be critical to grow metal nanostructures with high purities and the desired stoichiometries. A metal‐redox strategy that employs spontaneous oxidation/reduction reactions to grow nanocrystalline alloys using molecular‐scale zerovalent metal precursors is now described. The selection of suitable zerovalent metal species allows for thermodynamic control of the compositional stoichiometry during the temperature‐dependent formation of the metal alloy nanoparticles. A practical and scalable strategy for nanoalloy growth that can potentially produce key metal components of superior metallurgical quality for catalytic and magnetic systems has thus been developed.     

A10Tl6O2 (A = K, Rb) cluster compounds combining structural features of thallium cluster anions and of alkali metal sub-oxides

New alkali metal thallideoxides, A10Tl6O2 (A = K, Rb), crystallize in a unique structure consisting of hypoelectronic [Tl6]6- clusters in the shape of compressed octahedra, together with oxygen-centred alkali metal octahedra that have been identified as constitutive of alkali metal sub-oxides.     

Periodicity in collision-induced and remote-bond activation of alkali metal ions attached to polyether ionophores

The collision-induced dissociation of lasalocid and monensin A bound to alkali metal cations has been investigated using electrospray MS/MS. The binding affinity for the metal cations, as measured with collision-induced dissociation, was found to depend on their ionic radius, decreasing with increasing radius. Monensin A was observed to have a greater binding affinity for alkali metal cations than lasalocid acid.     

Highly Dense Isolated Metal Atom Catalytic Sites: Dynamic Formation and In Situ Observations

Atomically dispersed noble‐metal catalysts with highly dense active sites are promising materials with which to maximise metal efficiency and to enhance catalytic performance; however, their fabrication remains challenging because metal atoms are prone to sintering, especially at a high metal loading. A dynamic process of formation of isolated metal atom catalytic sites on the surface of the support, which was achieved starting from silver nanoparticles by using a thermal surface‐mediated diffusion method, was observed directly by using in situ electron microscopy and in situ synchrotron X‐ray diffraction. A combination of electron microscopy images with X‐ray absorption spectra demonstrated that the silver atoms were anchored on five‐fold oxygen‐terminated cavities on the surface of the support to form highly dense isolated metal active sites, leading to excellent reactivity in catalytic oxidation at low temperature. This work provides a general strategy for designing atomically dispersed noble‐metal catalysts with highly dense active sites.     

The stabilization of smectic A phases in mixtures of twinned-calamitic, metal organic complexes with 2,4,7-trinitro-9-fluorenone

The liquid crystal properties of binary mixtures of copper- and palladium-containing, twinnedcalamitic, metal organic complexes with the electron acceptor 2,4,7-trinitro-9-fluorenone (TNF) are reported. The smectic A to isotropic transition temperature of the pure metal organic component is increased on mixing. Furthermore, only smectic A behaviour is exhibited by the mixtures compared with smectic A and C phases for the pure metal organic complexes. The stabilization of the smectic A phase in these mixtures is found to be due to a weak charge transfer type interaction.     

Metal counterion transport in donnan dialysis

A series of crosslinked cation-exchange membranes having graded levels of ion-exchange capacity were prepared by irradiation-induced grafting on polyethylene substrates. A kinetic model was proposed for the transport of metal counterions across the membrane in Donnan dialysis. The transport was found to be adequately described by an equation in which the rate is proportional to the metal concentration. Sulfonated styrene-grafted membranes were more effective than acrylic acid-grafted membranes in Donnan dialysis separation applications. The metal transport rate increased with increasing ion-exchange capacity of the membrane. The metal removal rates were essentially the same with sodium sulfate, sodium chloride, or sulfuric acid as the strip agent; however, the use of chelating trisodium ethylenediaminetetraacetate brought about higher rates of metal removal. The rate of metal transport across a membrane of low ion-exchange capacity and gel water content decreased with increasing size and valence of the metal cation. However, negligible effect was observed concerning the size and valence of a metal cation on the metal's transport across a membrane of high ion-exchange capacity and gel water content.     

Direct electrical measurement of the conversion of metal acetates to metal sulfides by hydrogen sulfide

Copper acetate and related metal salt films react directly with hydrogen sulfide at room temperature to form metal sulfides, resulting in conductivity changes as large as 108. The observed changes in conductivity are related to the solubility product constant (Ksp) and the difference in conductivity between the metal salt and the resulting metal sulfide. A smaller Ksp indicates a more stable metal sulfide and, therefore, greater metal salt reactivity. Polyaniline nanofiber/metal salt composites were also examined and show metal sulfide conversion with changes in resistance up to 106. The direct electrical measurement of the conversion of metal salt to metal sulfide has the potential to be the basis of a new type of sensitive, thin-film chemical sensor.     

Sol–Gel Synthesis of Metal–Phenolic Coordination Spheres and Their Derived Carbon Composites

A formaldehyde‐assisted metal–ligand crosslinking strategy is used for the synthesis of metal–phenolic coordination spheres based on sol–gel chemistry. A range of mono‐metal (Co, Fe, Al, Ni, Cu, Zn, Ce), bi‐metal (Fe‐Co, Co‐Zn) and multi‐metal (Fe‐Co‐Ni‐Cu‐Zn) species can be incorporated into the frameworks of the colloidal spheres. The formation of coordination spheres involves the pre‐crosslinking of plant polyphenol (such as tannic acid) by formaldehyde in alkaline ethanol/water solvents, followed by the aggregation assembly of polyphenol oligomers via metal–ligand crosslinking. The coordination spheres can be used as sensors for the analysis of nucleic acid variants with single‐nucleotide discrimination, and a versatile precursor for electrode materials with high electrocatalytic performance.     

Metal ion-coupled and decoupled electron transfer

Effects of metal ions on thermal and photoinduced electron-transfer reactions from electron donors (D) to electron acceptors (A) are reviewed in terms of metal ion-coupled electron transfer (MCET) vs. metal ion-decoupled electron transfer (MDET). When electron transfer from D to A is coupled with binding of metal ions to A^?, such an electron transfer is defined as MCET in which metal ions accelerate the rates of electron transfer. A number of examples of electron-transfer reactions from D to A, which are energetically impossible to occur, are made possible by strong binding of metal ions to A^? in MCET. The structures of metal ion complexes with A^? are also discussed in relation with the MCET reactivity. The MCET reactivity of metal ions is shown to be enhanced with an increase in the Lewis acidity of metal ions. In contrast to MCET, strong binding of metal ions to A^? results in deceleration of back electron transfer from metal ion complexes of A^? to D⁺ in the radical ion pair, which is produced by photoinduced electron transfer from D to A in the presence of metal ions, as compared with back electron transfer without metal ions. The deceleration of back electron transfer in the presence of metal ions results from no binding of metal ions to A. This type of electron transfer is defined as metal ion-decoupled electron transfer (MDET). The lifetimes of CS state (D⁺–A^?) produced by photoinduced electron transfer from D to A in the D–A linked systems are also elongated by adding metal ions to the D–A systems because of the stabilization of the CS states by strong binding of metal ions to A^? and the resulting slow MDET processes.     

离子色谱法分析金属离子的研究进展

综述了离子色谱法(IC)分析金属离子的研究进展,对目前应用于分析金属离子的阳离子交换IC、阴离子交换IC和螯合离子色谱进行了评述。阳离子交换IC是IC分析金属离子的主要形式,固定相为强酸(磺酸)型阳离子交换剂和弱酸(羧酸)型阳离子交换剂,结合适当的检测方法,阳离子交换IC可以测定碱金属、碱土金属、过渡金属、稀土离子、铵离子及低相对分子质量的有机胺类分子等。阴离子交换IC可以分析碱土金属、过渡金属、稀土离子等,对金属离子的分析具有更好的选择性,并可以实现金属离子和无机阴离子的同时测定。螯合离子色谱可以对复杂基体中的痕量金属离子进行测定。引用文献125篇。     

Screening of peptide affinity tags using immobilised metal affinity chromatography in 96-well plate format

A method for high throughput screening of Green Fluorescent Proteins carrying metal binding tags in bacteria was developed. A random four amino acids tag-peptide library was successfully generated in E. coli. A 96-microtiter plate assembled with metal-iminodiacetic acid small cryogel columns was used for library screening. For the first time we were able to simultaneously screen a metal binding peptide tags library obtained from E. coli against different metal ions. From screening 25 different tags, three clones were able to bind to all metal ions studied (Ni2+, Zn2+, Co2+ and Cd2+). It was clearly demonstrated that the new construct could facilitate the screening of large peptide libraries.     

Use of The Luminol Reaction for Metal Ion Detection in Liquid Chromatography

Abstract

The use of high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) for the separation and quantitation of trace metals in solution has been hampered by the lack of A suitable detection system. The method generally used with classical metal ion separations - fraction collection and subsequent colorimetric detection - cannot easily be used in HPLC. To overcome this problem, A novel metal ion detection system based on the luminol reaction has been developed. Column effluent is successively mixed with luminol and then hydrogen peroxide before entering A chamber where chemiluminescence from the oxidation of the luminol is detected. The reaction is catalyzed by at least 20 different metal ions, and over A wide range the luminescence is proportional to metal ion concentration. The design of the system and some of its performance characteristics are described.     

Is it homogeneous or heterogeneous catalysis? Identification of bulk ruthenium metal as the true catalyst in benzene hydrogenations starting with the monometallic precursor,Ru(II)(eta 6-C6Me6)(OAc)2, plus kinetic characterization of the heterogeneous nucleation,then autocatalytic surface-growth mechanism of metal film formation

A reinvestigation of the true catalyst in a benzene hydrogenation system beginning with Ru(II)(eta(6)-C(6)Me(6))(OAc)(2) as the precatalyst is reported. The key observations leading to the conclusion that the true catalyst is bulk ruthenium metal particles, and not a homogeneous metal complex or a soluble nanocluster, are as follows: (i) the catalytic benzene hydrogenation reaction follows the nucleation (A --> B) and then autocatalytic surface-growth (A + B --> 2B) sigmoidal kinetics and mechanism recently elucidated for metal(0) formation from homogeneous precatalysts; (ii) bulk ruthenium metal forms during the hydrogenation; (iii) the bulk ruthenium metal is shown to have sufficient activity to account for all the observed activity; (iv) the filtrate from the product solution is inactive until further bulk metal is formed; (v) the addition of Hg(0), a known heterogeneous catalyst poison, completely inhibits further catalysis; and (vi) transmission electron microscopy fails to detect nanoclusters under conditions where they are otherwise routinely detected. Overall, the studies presented herein call into question any claim of homogeneous benzene hydrogenation with a Ru(arene) precatalyst. An additional, important finding is that the A --> B, then A + B --> 2B kinetic scheme previously elucidated for soluble nanocluster homogeneous nucleation and autocatalytic surface growth (Widegren, J. A.; Aiken, J. D., III; Ozkar, S.; Finke, R. G. Chem. Mater. 2001, 13, 312-324, and ref 8 therein) also quantitatively accounts for the formation of bulk metal via heterogeneous nucleation then autocatalytic surface growth. This is significant for three reasons: (i) quantitative kinetic studies of metal film formation from soluble precursors or chemical vapor deposition are rare; (ii) a clear demonstration of such A --> B, then A + B --> 2B kinetics, in which both the induction period and the autocatalysis are continuously monitored and then quantitatively accounted for, has not been previously demonstrated for metal thin-film formation; yet (iii) all the mechanistic insights from the soluble nanocluster system (op. cit.) should be applicable to metal thin-film formations which exhibit sigmoidal kinetics and, hence, the A --> B, then A + B --> 2B mechanism.     

The role of metal ions in phosphate ester hydrolysis

Many phosphatases make use of metal ions to aid catalysis of phosphate ester hydrolysis. Here, we investigate the impact of metal ions on the potential energy surface (PES), and hence the preferred reaction mechanism, for a simple model for hydrolysis of phosphate ester monoanions. We show that, while both associative (A(N) + D(N)) and dissociative (D(N) + A(N)) mechanisms are represented on the potential energy surfaces both in the presence and absence of metal ions, the D(N) + A(N) process is favoured when there are no metal ions present and the A(N) + D(N) process is favoured in the presence of two metal ions. A concerted (A(N)D(N)) process is also available in the presence of two metal ions, but proceeds via a high-energy transition state. In the presence of only a single metal ion the A(N)D(N) process is the most favoured, but still proceeds via a high-energy transition state. Thus, we conclude that metallo-enzyme phosphatases are likely to utilise an associative process, while those that function without metal ions may well follow a dissociative process.     

Metal recovery from low concentration solutions using a flow-by reactor under galvanostatic approach

A recently proposed method using constant current steps were applied for a period of time on a reticulated vitreous carbon cathode. The current steps were calculated from a theoretical analysis of the metal concentration profile assuming that the metal was deposited under mass transport control. A model was developed to predict the concentration decay of metal ions during the process. The current required to reduce the metal at the mass transfer limit at each time step was predicted from the concentration decay obtained from the model. This process should enable one to maintain high metal recovery rates whilst maximizing current efficiency. This concept was tested on Cu(II) deposition from an acidified sulfate electrolyte using a flowby reactor system with a reticulated vitreous carbon electrode. The model was good for predicting copper metal removal using a three dimensional cathode in dilute rinse waters. Also, the predicted current efficiency was in good agreement with that obtained using the experimental data.     

A study of phthalexon complexes

A method was proposed for calculating the concentration of functional groups in phthalexons involved in complexation with metal ions, with account for all possible metal and reagent ionic species and their ratios.     

Synthesis of Polynuclear Organometallic and o-Quinone Compounds by Direct Metal Oxidation in Nonaqueos Solutions

A review of papers concerned with the synthesis of polynuclear organometallic compounds by direct metal oxidation with organoelemental halides is presented. The effect of solvent nature on the rate of metal oxidation in nonaqueous solutions is considered. The mechanism of metal oxidation with o-quinone in aprotic dipolar solvents is suggested.     

Reactions of metal ions with dithizone in molten naphthalene

A comparative study has been made of the reactions of metal ions with dithizone in the two media, chloroform and molten naphthalene. The absorption spectra of several metal dithizonates, prepared in molten naphthalene, were recorded and were found to be the same as those of the dithizonates obtained by extraction of metal ions from aqueous solution with chloroform dithizone.     

Tunable transition metal-ligand complexation for enhanced elucidation of flavonoid diglycosides by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry

A tunable ESI-MS/MS strategy for differentiation of flavone and flavanone diglycoside isomers based on metal complexation with auxiliary ligands is reported. The addition of a metal salt and an auxiliary ligand to a flavonoid solution results in the formation of [M(II) (flavonoid-H) auxiliary ligand](+) complexes, where M(II) is a transition metal. A series of auxiliary ligands with electron-withdrawing substituents were synthesized to tailor the relative metal binding affinities of the ligands and thus directly influence the stabilities, and consequently the dissociation pathways, of the complexes. Upon collisionally activated dissociation, the complexes yield fragmentation patterns in which the abundances of key diagnostic ions are enhanced, thus facilitating isomer differentiation.     

Silmization of stainless-steel frits for use in trace metal analysis by high performance liquid chromatography

A simple method has been developed to minimize the interferences related to the metal parts of an analytical system used for trace metal analysis by HPLC. This is accomplished by blocking the exposed metal surfaces with an organosilane. The effect of the silanized stainless steel frits has been demonstrated by injecting diethyldithiocarbamate into columns with and without high metal surface area components. The coating of the silane is quite stable for routine use.