Preparation of thin films of platinum group metals by pulsed MOCVD. I. Deposition of Ir layers

Pulsed MOCVD with the in situ mass spectrometric control of the deposition process is employed to obtain ultrathin Ir layers with a thickness from units to tens of nanometers. The role of the reaction medium, precursor nature, and deposition temperature in the formation of the nanocrystalline structure of films is revealed. The deposition of Ir from Ir(acac)₃ in the oxygen atmosphere results in the formation of dense homogeneous structures, while in vacuum or in the hydrogen atmosphere, nanosized granular Ir layers are deposited. When Ir(CO)₂(acac) is used, Ir films with a granular structure are obtained regardless of the reaction medium.     

Oxygen Evolution Reaction on Nanoporous Gold Modified with Ir and Pt: Synergistic Electrocatalysis between Structure and Composition

Active oxygen evolution reaction electrocatalysts for water splitting have received great attention because of their importance in the utilization of renewable energy sources. Here, the electrochemical oxygen evolution reaction activities of a nanoporous gold (NPG)‐based electrode in acidic media are investigated. The dependence of the oxygen evolution reaction activity on the NPG surface area shows that the large electrochemical surface areas of the NPG are effectively utilized to enhance electrocatalytic activity. The NPG surfaces are modified with Pt using atomic layer electrodeposition methods, and the resulting NPG@Pt exhibited enhanced electrocatalytic activities compared to those of the NPG and flat Pt electrodes. Ir‐modified NPG (NPG@Ir) electrodes are prepared by spontaneous exchange of Ir on NPG surfaces and exhibit enhanced electrocatalytic activity compared to that of flat Ir surfaces. The modification of NPG@Pt with Ir results in NPG@Pt/Ir electrodes, and their electrocatalytic activities exceed those of NPG@Ir. The enhanced oxygen evolution reaction activity on NPG@Pt/Ir over that on NPG@Ir surfaces is examined by X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The oxygen evolution reaction activity on NPG@Pt/Ir surfaces demonstrates synergistic electrocatalysis between the nanoporous surface structure and active electrocatalytic components.     

Gold-iridium bifunctional electrocatalyst for oxygen reduction and oxygen evolution reactions

Carbon supported gold-iridium composite(Au Ir/C) was synthesized by a facile one-step process and was investigated as the bifunctional catalyst for oxygen reduction reaction(ORR) and oxygen evolution reaction(OER). The physical properties of the Au Ir/C composite were characterized by transmission electron microscopy(TEM), X-ray diffraction(XRD) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy(XPS). Although the Au and Ir in the Au Ir/C did not form alloy, it is clear that the introduction of Ir decreases the average Au particle size to 4.2 nm compared to that in the Au/C(10.1 nm). By systematical analysis on chemical state of metal surface via XPS and the electrochemical results, it was found that the Au surface for the Au/C can be activated by potential cycling from 0.12 V to 1.72 V, resulting in the increased surface roughness of Au,thus improving the ORR activity. By the same potential cycling, the Ir surface of the Ir/C was irreversibly oxidized, leading to degraded ORR activity but uninfluenced OER activity. For the Au Ir/C, Ir protects Au against being oxidized due to the lower electronegativity of Ir. Combining the advantages of Au and Ir in catalyzing ORR and OER, the Au Ir/C catalyst displays an enhanced catalytic activity to the ORR and a comparable OER activity. In the 50-cycle accelerated aging test for the ORR and OER, the Au Ir/C displayed a satisfied stability, suggesting that the Au Ir/C catalyst is a potential bifunctional catalyst for the oxygen electrode.     

Electrochemiluminescence Studies of Phosphorescent Dopant and Host Molecules of Polymer Light-emitting Diodes

Electrochemiluminescence (ECL) from tris(2‐phenylpyridine)irdium [Ir(ppy)₃] was investigated following cross reaction of its anion with oxidized poly(N‐vinyl‐carbazole) (PVK) and its cation with reduced 2‐(4‐biphenylyl)‐5‐(4‐tert‐butyl‐phenyl)‐1,3,4‐oxadiazole (PBD). Both cross reactions show Ir(ppy)₃ emission and the cross reaction of PVK^+·/Ir(ppy)⁻₃ showed the highest ECL intensity. The comparisons of the reaction enthalpy and the energy of Ir(ppy)₃ light emitting shows that reaction between PVK^+· and Ir(ppy)⁻₃ is energy sufficient to populate metal‐to‐ligand charge transfer (MLCT) excited singlet (3.04 eV) of Ir(ppy)₃, while the reaction between Ir(ppy)⁺₃ and PBD^{− ·} is energy efficient to populate MLCT excited triplet (2.4 eV). The ECL result in solution reveals that the energy released from charge transfer between the Ir(ppy)₃ and PVK or PBD is sufficient to produce the excited state of Ir(ppy)₃ in solid polymer light‐emitting diodes (PLEDs) based on PVK:PBD hosts doped by Ir(ppy)₃. These results obtained will provide further insight into charge‐transfer excitation in PLEDs.     

Hydrogen production via autothermal reforming of ethanol over noble metal catalysts supported on oxides

Hydrogen was produced over noble metal (Ir, Ru, Rh, Pd) catalysts supported on various oxides, including γ-Al2O3, CeO2, ZrO2 and La2O3, via the autothermai reforming reaction of ethanol (ATRE) and oxidative reforming reaction of ethanol (OSRE). The conversion of ethanol and selectivites for hydrogen and byproducts such as methane, ethylene and acetaldehyde were studied. It was found that lanthana alone possessed considerable activity for the ATRE reaction, which could be used as a functional support for ATRE catalysts. It was demonstrated that Ir/La2O3 prevented the formation of methane, and Rh/La2O3 encumbered the production of ethylene and acetaldehyde. ATRE reaction was carried out over La2O3-supported catalysts (Ir/La2O3) with good stability on stream, high conversion, and excellent hydrogen selectivity approaching thermodynamic limit under autothermal condition. Typically, 3.4 H2 molecules can be extracted from a pair of ethanol and water molecules over Ir(5wt%)/La2O3. The results presented in this paper indicate that Ir/La2O3 can be used as a promising catalyst for hydrogen production via ATRE reaction from renewable ethanol.     

Ir/SiO2上甲烷部分氧化制合成气反应的原位时间分辨红外和原位Raman光谱表征

采用原位时间分辨红外光谱和原位显微Raman光谱技术对Ir/SiO₂上甲烷部分氧化(POM)制合成气反应的初级产物和反应条件下催化剂表面物种进行了跟踪考察,实验结果表明,在H₂预还原的新鲜Ir/SiO₂表面,CO是V(CH₄):V(O₂):V(Ar)=2:1:45混合气反应的初级产物,因而甲烷的直接氧化过程是CO生成的主要途径;而在稳态反应条件下,CO生成的途径可能主要来自CO₂和H₂O与催化剂表面积碳物种(CHx)和/或CH₄的反应.催化剂上生成的积碳可能是导致稳态条件下Ir/SiO₂上POM反应机理不同于H₂预还原的新鲜催化剂的主要原因.     

Application of artificial neural networks in multivariable optimization of an on-line microwave FIA system for catalytic kinetic determination of iridium(III)

A new rapid, selective and sensitive on-line microwave flow injection-kinetic method was developed for spectrophotometric determination of micro amounts of Ir(III), based on its catalytic effect on the m-acetylchlorophosphonazo (CPA-mA) and KIO(4) reaction in NaOH media. An on-line microwave oven was employed to accelerate the reaction. The reaction was followed spectrophotometrically by measuring the decrease of the absorbance of CPA-mA at 580 nm. The effect of five variables for the determination of Ir(III) was optimized by means of a multilayer artificial neural network using extended delta-bar-delta (EDBD) algorithms. Under the optimum experimental conditions, Ir(III) could be determined in the range 0.060-0.60 micro gZZZ;mL(-1) with detection limit of 0.02 micro gZZZ;mL(-1) and the sampling frequency of 34 h(-1). The proposed method was applied to the determination of micro amounts of Ir(III) in refined ore and secondary alloy with the recoveries from 91.4% to 109%.     

亮绿-过氧化氢系统催化动力学光度法测定痕量铱(Ⅲ)

在0.01 mol.L-1硫酸介质中,95℃水浴加热10 min时,痕量铱(Ⅲ)对过氧化氢氧化亮绿褪色反应有显著的催化作用。据此提出了催化动力学光度法测定痕量铱(Ⅲ)的方法。该催化反应对铱(Ⅲ)为一级反应,总反应为准一级反应。催化反应的表观速率常数为7.383×10-4s-1,表观活化能为65.27 kJ.mol-1。铱(Ⅲ)的质量浓度在0.06 mg.L-1以内与吸光度的减小(ΔA)呈线性关系,检出限(3s/k)为1.152×10-7g.L-1。方法用于分子筛和活性炭样品中铱(Ⅲ)量的测定,回收率在97%～104%之间。     

Allylation of alcohols and carboxylic acids with allyl acetate catalyzed by [Ir(cod)2](+)BF4- complex

A facile method for the synthesis of allyl alkyl ethers from alcohols with allyl acetate was developed by the use of [Ir(cod)(2)](+)BF(4)(-) complex. For instance, the reaction of allyl acetate with n-octyl alcohol in the presence of a catalytic amount of [Ir(cod)(2)](+)BF(4)(-) complex afforded allyl octyl ether in quantitative yield. Allyl carboxylates were also prepared by the exchange reaction between carboxylic acids and allyl acetate in good yields. The [Ir(cod)(2)](+)BF(4)(-) complex catalyzed the reaction of alkyl and aromatic amines with allyl acetate to lead to the corresponding allylamines in fair to good yields.     

Two hydrogen ligands on tetrairidium clusters: a relativistic density functional study

Structural and energetic properties of Ir(4)H(2) have been determined by applying a relativistic density functional method. As previously obtained for Ir(4)H, terminal coordination of H ligands is preferred, in contrast to some other transition metals. Square-planar Ir(4) isomers with an H binding energy of up to 318 kJ mol(-1) per atom were determined as the most stable structures of Ir(4)H(2). Isomers with a tetrahedral or butterfly structure of the metal framework exhibit average H atom binding energies of up to approximately 300 kJ mol(-1). For all three types of isomers, a surprisingly large number of stable minima was identified. Unexpectedly, structural as well as energetic properties of Ir(4)H(2) complexes are very similar to Ir(4)H. Thus binding of an H atom to Ir(4) is only slightly affected by the presence of a second H ligand. In all cases examined, the reaction H(2)+ Ir(4)--> H(2)Ir(4) was found to be exothermic with reaction energies of up to 170 kJ mol(-1).     

A rare eta2-butadienyl complex from an alkyne double insertion with double vinylidene rearrangement

A rare eta2-butadienyl Ir(III) complex with a weak Ir...C bond is formed from 1-alkyne double insertion with the independent double alkyne to vinylidene rearrangement. A reaction intermediate is isolated, and labeling and crossover experiments indicate the intramolecularity of both alkyne to vinylidene rearrangements.     

Stepwise synthesis of a hydrido, N-heterocyclic dicarbene iridium(III) pincer complex featuring mixed NHC/abnormal NHC ligands

We describe a stepwise synthesis of the hydrido, N-heterocyclic dicarbene iridium(III) pincer complex [Ir(H)I(C(NHC)CC(aNHC))(NCMe)] (3) which features a combination of normal and abnormal NHC ligands. The reaction of the bis(imidazolium) diiodide [(CH(imid)CHCH(imid))]I(2) (1) with [Ir(μ-Cl)(cod)](2) afforded first the mono-NHC Ir(I) complex [IrI(cod)(CH(imid)CHC(NHC))]I (2), which was then reacted with 2 equiv. of Cs(2)CO(3) in acetonitrile at 60 °C for 40 h to yield 3. These observations support our previously proposed mechanism for the formation of hydrido, N-heterocyclic dicarbene iridium(III) pincer complexes from the reaction of bis(imidazolium) salts with weak bases involving a mono-NHC Ir(I) intermediate. We describe the reactivity of the mono-NHC Ir(I) complex 2 under various conditions. By changing the reaction solvent from MeCN to toluene, we observed the cleavage of the imidazol-2-ylidene ring and the formation of an iminoformamide-containing mono-NHC Ir(I) complex [IrI(cod){[NHCH=CHN(Ad)CHO]CHC(NHC)}] (4). Complex 4 was also prepared in high yield from the reaction of 2 with strong bases (potassium tert-butoxide or potassium hexamethyldisilazane), via the initial formation of the complex [IrI(cod)(CH(NHC)CHC(NHC))] (5), which contains a coordinated NHC moiety and a free carbene arm, followed by subsequent hydrolysis of the latter. The bis(imidazolium) salt 1 can be deprotonated by strong bases to form the bis(carbene) ligand C(NHC)CHC(NHC) (6), which readily reacts with [Ir(μ-Cl)(cod)](2) to give the dinuclear complex [{IrI(cod)}(2)(μ-C(NHC)CHC(NHC))] (7), in which the N-heterocyclic bis(carbene) ligand bridges the two metals through the carbene carbon atoms.     

Selective C-C coupling of Ir-ethene and Ir-carbenoid radicals

The reactivity of the paramagnetic iridium(II) complex [Ir(II)(ethene)(Me(3)tpa)](2+) (1) (Me(3)tpa=N,N,N-tris(6-methyl-2-pyridylmethyl) amine) towards the diazo compounds ethyl diazoacetate (EDA) and trimethylsilyldiazomethane (TMSDM) was investigated. The reaction with EDA gave rise to selective C--C bond formation, most likely through radical coupling of the Ir-carbenoid radical species [Ir(III){CH(.)(COOEt)}(MeCN)(Me(3)tpa)](2+) (7) and (the MeCN adduct of) 1, to give the tetracationic dinuclear complex [(MeCN)(Me(3)tpa)Ir(III){CH(COOEt)CH(2)CH(2)}Ir(III)(MeCN)(Me(3)tpa)](2+) (4). The analogous reaction with TMSDM leads to the mononuclear dicationic species [Ir(III){CH(2)(SiMe(3))}(MeCN)(Me(3)tpa)](2+) (11). This reaction probably involves a hydrogen-atom abstraction from TMSDM by the intermediate Ir-carbenoid radical species [Ir(III){CH(.)(SiMe(3))}(MeCN)(Me(3)tpa)](2+) (10). DFT calculations support pathways proceeding via these Ir-carbenoid radicals. The carbenoid-radical species are actually carbon-centered ligand radicals, with an electronic structure best described as one-electron-reduced Fischer-type carbenes. To our knowledge, this paper represents the first reactivity study of a mononuclear Ir(II) species towards diazo compounds.     

Synthesis and Luminescent Properties of Cationic Ir（Ⅲ） Complexes of 2-Phenylquinoline Derivatives

Two cationic iridium(III) complexes, [(pqcm)2Ir(pybz)](PF6) (Ir1) and [(pqcm)2Ir(apybz)](PF6) (Ir2) (pqcmH=2-phenyl-quinoline-4-carboxylic acid methyl ester, pybz=2-pyridyl-benzimidazole, apybz=1-allyl-2-pyridyl-benzimidazole), were readily synthesized from the reaction of IrIII-μ-chloro-bridged dimer [Ir(pqcm)2(Cl)]2 and corresponding ancillary ligands, and characterized by NMR and mass spectroscopies. The structure of Ir2 was also confirmed by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. The photophysical properties of the two complexes were also investigated. Ir1 shows deep red emission peaked at around 652 nm with the phosphorescence quantum yield of ca. 0.29 and the emission lifetime of 233 ns, while Ir2 shows red emission peaked at around 615 nm with the phosphorescence quantum yield of ca. 0.13 and the emission lifetime of 430 ns. The active hydrogen on pybz ligand is believed to have a great influence on the photophysical properties of Ir1.     

TiO2晶面依赖的Ir-TiOx相互作用对Ir/TiO2催化剂巴豆醛选择性加氢性能的影响

α,β-不饱和醇是一类重要的精细化学品,主要通过α,β-不饱和醛选择性加氢获得.由于α,β-不饱和醛分子中含有共轭的C=C键和C=O键,且后者键能更大,在热力学和动力学上均不利于C=O键的选择性加氢生成α,β-不饱和醇.因此,提高α,β-不饱和醛中C=O的加氢选择性是催化领域中一项挑战性的课题.巴豆醛属于典型的α,β-不饱和醛,研究其选择性加氢生成巴豆醇具有广泛的代表意义;Ir负载在具有还原性载体(如TiO2)上时,表现出很好的C=O加氢选择性,因此,成为近年来的研究热点.由于暴露不同晶面的TiO2具有不同的形貌和电子结构,因此研究Ir-TiO2相互作用的晶面依赖性及其对巴豆醛选择性加氢反应的影响具有重要意义.本文以分别暴露{101}、{100}和{001}晶面的锐钛矿TiO2纳米晶为载体,制备了负载型Ir/TiO2催化剂,系统研究了催化剂经过不同的预处理过程(在不同温度下H2还原和O2再氧化)后对巴豆醛的气相选择性加氢的性能.利用高分辨透射电镜、原位X射线光电子能谱和原位漫反射红外光谱及氨程序升温脱附等技术研究发现,预处理条件显著改变了Ir-TiOx的相互作用,包括Ir金属的几何、电子性质及催化剂表面酸性.这种相互作用与TiO2的暴露晶面密切相关,从而改变了不同Ir/TiO2催化剂上不同加氢反应行为.研究结果表明,经300℃预还原的Ir/TiO2-{101}催化剂催化性能最好,在80℃下初始反应速率为166.1 μmol g-Ir-1 s-1,巴豆醇的生成转化频率为0.022 s-1.与其他催化剂相比,Ir/TiO2-{101}催化剂表面Ir0浓度最高,表面酸度适中,因此表现出最佳的催化性能.同时Ir-TiOx界面在反应中的协同作用,对H2和巴豆醛分子中C=O键的吸附和活化起到了关键作用.然而当催化剂经过400℃的H2预还原后,由于产生了强的金属-载体相互作用使得TiOx对Ir粒子进行了包裹从而导致Ir-TiOx界面缺失,因而催化剂催化巴豆醛加氢性能降低.本文为理解金属-载体相互作用对巴豆醛选择性加氢反应的影响提供了新的见解,并为设计高性能α,β-不饱和醛选择性加氢催化剂提供了理论依据.     

Iridium‐Catalyzed Intermolecular Asymmetric Dearomatization of β‐Naphthols with Allyl Alcohols or Allyl Ethers

An Ir‐catalyzed intermolecular asymmetric dearomatization reaction of β‐naphthols with allyl alcohols or allyl ethers was developed. When an iridium catalyst generated from [Ir(COD)Cl]₂ (COD=cyclooctadiene) and a chiral P/olefin ligand is employed, highly functionalized β‐naphthalenone compounds bearing an all‐carbon‐substituted quaternary chiral center were obtained in up to 92 % yield and 98 % ee . The direct utilization of allyl alcohols as electrophiles represents an improvement from the viewpoint of atom economy. Allyl ethers were found to undergo asymmetric allylic substitution reaction under Ir catalysis for the first time. The diverse transformations of the dearomatized product to various motifs render this method attractive.     

Enantioselective iridium-catalyzed allylic substitutions with hydroxamic acid derivatives as N-nucleophiles

Enantioselective Ir-catalyzed allylic aminations with hydroxamic acid derivatives are described. Catalysts were prepared in situ from [Ir(cod)Cl](2) or [Ir(dbcot)Cl](2), a phosphoramidite and base. In addition, pure (π-allyl)Ir complexes containing cod or dbcot as auxiliary ligands were used. Very high degrees of regio- and enantioselectivity were achieved. The reaction products were transformed into piperidine derivatives suited as precursors for aza-sugars.     

The Common Intermediates of Oxygen Evolution and Dissolution Reactions during Water Electrolysis on Iridium

Understanding the pathways of catalyst degradation during the oxygen evolution reaction is a cornerstone in the development of efficient and stable electrolyzers, since even for the most promising Ir based anodes the harsh reaction conditions are detrimental. The dissolution mechanism is complex and the correlation to the oxygen evolution reaction itself is still poorly understood. Here, by coupling a scanning flow cell with inductively coupled plasma and online electrochemical mass spectrometers, we monitor the oxygen evolution and degradation products of Ir and Ir oxides in situ. It is shown that at high anodic potentials several dissolution routes become possible, including formation of gaseous IrO₃. On the basis of experimental data, possible pathways are proposed for the oxygen‐evolution‐triggered dissolution of Ir and the role of common intermediates for these reactions is discussed.     

Shape-selective formation and characterization of catalytically active iridium nanoparticles

Iridium (Ir) nanoparticles (NPs) of variable shapes have been synthesized via the reduction of Ir(III) ions in CTAB micellar media containing alkaline 2,7-DHN under 4h of UV-irradiation. The one-step process generates different shapes, such as nano-spheres, nano-chains, nano-flakes, and nano-needles. The synthesized Ir NPs are stable for more than a month in ambient conditions. The particles' morphology can be tuned by simply changing the surfactant-to-metal ion molar ratios and altering other reaction parameters. The mechanisms of the Ir particle formation and effects of different reaction parameters were studied in detail. The Ir nano-needles serve as a good catalyst for the reduction of organic dye molecules in presence of NaBH(4). The catalysis rate was compared by considering the electron transfer process during the reduction of the dye molecules. The present method would lead to a quick process for the synthesis of other mono-metallic, composite, and semiconductor particles with variable shapes. The Ir NPs will find promising applications in different types of organic and inorganic catalysis reactions, nanoelectronics, and biomedical applications.