Carbon Monoxide Oxidation by Polyoxometalate‐Supported Gold Nanoparticulate Catalysts: Activity,Stability, and Temperature‐ Dependent Activation Properties

Nanoparticulate gold supported on a Keggin‐type polyoxometalate (POM), Cs₄[α‐SiW₁₂O₄₀]⋅n H₂O, was prepared by the sol immobilization method. The size of the gold nanoparticles (NPs) was approximately 2 nm, which was almost the same as the size of the gold colloid precursor. Deposition of gold NPs smaller than 2 nm onto POM (Au/POM) was essential for a high catalytic activity for CO oxidation. The temperature for 50 % CO conversion was −67 °C. The catalyst showed extremely high stability for at least one month at 0 °C with full conversion. The catalytic activity and the reaction mechanism drastically changed at temperatures higher than 40 °C, showing a unique behavior called a U‐shaped curve. It was revealed by IR measurement that Au^δ+ was a CO adsorption site and that adsorbed water promoted CO oxidation for the Au/POM catalyst. This is the first report on CO oxidation utilizing Au/POMs catalysts, and there is a potential for expansion to various gas‐phase reactions.     

Carbon Monoxide Oxidation by Polyoxometalate‐Supported Gold Nanoparticulate Catalysts: Activity,Stability, and Temperature‐ Dependent Activation Properties

Nanoparticulate gold supported on a Keggin‐type polyoxometalate (POM), Cs₄[α‐SiW₁₂O₄₀]?n H₂O, was prepared by the sol immobilization method. The size of the gold nanoparticles (NPs) was approximately 2 nm, which was almost the same as the size of the gold colloid precursor. Deposition of gold NPs smaller than 2 nm onto POM (Au/POM) was essential for a high catalytic activity for CO oxidation. The temperature for 50 % CO conversion was ?67 °C. The catalyst showed extremely high stability for at least one month at 0 °C with full conversion. The catalytic activity and the reaction mechanism drastically changed at temperatures higher than 40 °C, showing a unique behavior called a U‐shaped curve. It was revealed by IR measurement that Au^δ+ was a CO adsorption site and that adsorbed water promoted CO oxidation for the Au/POM catalyst. This is the first report on CO oxidation utilizing Au/POMs catalysts, and there is a potential for expansion to various gas‐phase reactions.     

Ag/Au Mixed Sites Promote Oxidative Coupling of Methanol on the Alloy Surface

Nanoporous gold, a dilute alloy of Ag in Au, activates molecular oxygen and promotes the oxygen‐assisted catalytic coupling of methanol. Because this trace amount of Ag inherent to nanoporous gold has been proposed as the source of oxygen activation, a thin film Ag/Au alloy surface was studied as a model system for probing the origin of this reactivity. Thin alloy layers of Ag_xAu_1?x, with 0.15≤x≤0.40, were examined for dioxygen activation and methanol self‐coupling. These alloy surfaces recombine atomic oxygen at different temperatures depending on the alloy composition. Total conversion of methanol to selective oxidation products, that is, formaldehyde and methyl formate, was achieved at low initial oxygen coverage and at low temperature. Reaction channels for methyl formate formation occurred on both Au and Au/Ag mixed sites with a ratio, as was predicted from the local 2‐dimensional composition.     

CO oxidation over ceria supported Au22 nanoclusters: Shape effect of the support

CO oxidation over ceria-supported Au₂₂ nanoclusters shows strong dependence on the support shape: the lattice oxygen in CeO₂ rods is more reactive than in the cubes and thus make rods a superior support for Au nanoclusters in catalyzing low temperature CO oxidation.     

Nanoceria Supported Gold Catalysts for CO Oxidation

Two types of CeO₂ nanocubes (average size of 5 and 20 nm, respectively) prepared via the hydrothermal process were selected to load gold species via a deposition‐precipitation (DP) method. Various measurements, including X‐ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectra, high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), in situ diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy (in situ DRIFTS), and temperature‐programmed reduction by hydrogen (H₂‐TPR), were applied to characterize the catalysts. It is found that the sample with ceria size of 20 nm (Au/CeO₂‐20) was covered by well dispersed both Au³⁺ and Au^δ+ (0 < δ < 1). For the other sample with ceria size of 5 nm (Au/CeO₂‐5), Au³⁺ is the dominant gold species. Au/CeO₂‐20 performed better catalytic activity for CO oxidation because of the strong CO adsorption of Au^δ+ in the catalysts. The catalytic activity of Au/CeO₂‐5 was improved due to the transformation of Au³⁺ to Au^δ+. Based on the CO oxidation and in situ DRIFTS results, Au^δ+ is likely to play a more important role in catalyzing CO oxidation reaction.     

First‐principle calculations on CO oxidation catalyzed by a gold nanoparticle

We have elucidated the mechanism of CO oxidation catalyzed by gold nanoparticles through first‐principle density‐functional theory (DFT) calculations. Calculations on selected model show that the low‐coordinated Au atoms of the Au₂₉ nanoparticle carry slightly negative charges, which enhance the O₂ binding energy compared with the corresponding bulk surfaces. Two reaction pathways of the CO oxidation were considered: the Eley–Rideal (ER) and Langmuir–Hinshelwood (LH). The overall LH reaction O_2(ads) + CO_(gas) → O_2(ads) + CO_(ads) → OOCO_(ads) → O_(ads) + CO_2(gas) is calculated to be exothermic by 3.72 eV; the potential energies of the two transition states ( TS_LH1 and TS_LH2 ) are smaller than the reactants, indicating that no net activation energy is required for this process. The CO oxidation via ER reaction Au₂₉ + O_2(gas) + CO_(gas) → Au₂₉–O_2(ads) + CO_(gas) → Au₂₉–CO_3(ads) → Au₂₉–O_(ads) + CO_2(gas) requires an overall activation barrier of 0.19 eV, and the formation of Au₂₉–CO_3(ads) intermediate possesses high exothermicity of 4.33 eV, indicating that this process may compete with the LH mechanism. Thereafter, a second CO molecule can react with the remaining O atom via the ER mechanism with a very small barrier (0.03 eV). Our calculations suggest that the CO oxidation catalyzed by the Au₂₉ nanoparticle is likely to occur at or even below room temperature. To gain insights into high‐catalytic activity of the gold nanoparticles, the interaction nature between adsorbate and substrate is also analyzed by the detailed electronic analysis. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Comput Chem, 2010     

Geometrical Structure of the Gold–Iron(III) Oxide Interfacial Perimeter for CO Oxidation

The geometrical structure of the Au‐Fe₂O₃ interfacial perimeter, which is generally considered as the active sites for low‐temperature oxidation of CO, was examined. It was found that the activity of the Au/Fe₂O₃ catalysts not only depends on the number of the gold atoms at the interfacial perimeter but also strongly depends on the geometrical structure of these gold atoms, which is determined by the size of the gold particle. Aberration‐corrected scanning transmission electron microscopy images unambiguously suggested that the gold particles, transformed from a two‐dimensional flat shape to a well‐faceted truncated octahedron when the size slightly enlarged from 2.2 to 3.5 nm. Such a size‐induced shape evolution altered the chemical bonding environments of the gold atoms at the interfacial perimeters and consequently their catalytic activity. For Au particles with a mean size of 2.2 nm, the interfacial perimeter gold atoms possessed a higher degree of unsaturated coordination environment while for Au particles with a mean size of 3.5 nm the perimeter gold atoms mainly followed the atomic arrangements of Au {111} and {100} facets. Kinetic study, with respect to the reaction rate and the turnover frequency on the interfacial perimeter gold atom, found that the low‐coordinated perimeter gold atoms were intrinsically more active for CO oxidation. ¹⁸O isotopic titration and Infrared spectroscopy experiments verified that CO oxidation at room temperature occurred at the Au‐Fe₂O₃ interfacial perimeter, involving the participation of the lattice oxygen of Fe₂O₃ for activating O₂ and the gold atoms for CO adsorption and activation.     

Catalytically Active Rh Sub‐Nanoclusters on TiO2 for CO Oxidation at Cryogenic Temperatures

The discovery that gold catalysts could be active for CO oxidation at cryogenic temperatures has ignited much excitement in nanocatalysis. Whether the alternative Pt group metal (PGM) catalysts can exhibit such high performance is an interesting research issue. So far, no PGM catalyst shows activity for CO oxidation at cryogenic temperatures. In this work, we report a sub‐nano Rh/TiO₂ catalyst that can completely convert CO at 223 K. This catalyst exhibits at least three orders of magnitude higher turnover frequency (TOF) than the best Rh‐based catalysts and comparable to the well‐known Au/TiO₂ for CO oxidation. The specific size range of 0.4–0.8 nm Rh clusters is critical to the facile activation of O₂ over the Rh–TiO₂ interface in a form of Rh?O?O?Ti (superoxide). This superoxide is ready to react with the CO adsorbed on TiO₂ sites at cryogenic temperatures.     

Tuning the Photoisomerization of a N^C‐Chelate Organoboron Compound with a Metal?Acetylide Unit

To examine the impact of metal moieties that have different triplet energies on the photoisomerization of B(ppy)Mes₂ compounds (ppy=2‐phenyl pyridine, Mes=mesityl), three metal‐functionalized B(ppy)Mes₂ compounds, Re‐B , Au‐B , and Pt‐B , have been synthesized and fully characterized. The metal moieties in these three compounds are Re(CO)₃(tert‐Bu₂bpy)(C?C), Au(PPh₃)(C?C), and trans‐Pt(PPh₃)₂(C?C)₂, respectively, which are connected to the ppy chelate through the alkyne linker. Our investigation has established that the Re^I unit completely quenches the photoisomerization of the boron unit because of a low‐lying intraligand charge transfer/MLCT triplet state. The Au^I unit, albeit with a triplet energy that is much higher than that of B(ppy)Mes₂, upon conjugation with the ppy chelate unit, substantially increases the contribution of the π→π* transition, localized on the conjugated chelate backbone in the lowest triplet state, thereby leading to a decrease in the photoisomerization quantum efficiency (QE) of the boron chromophore when excited at 365 nm. At higher excitation energies, the photoisomerization QE of Au‐B is comparable to that of the silyl–alkyne‐functionalized B(ppy)Mes₂ ( TIPS‐B ), which was attributable to a triplet‐state‐sensitization effect by the Au^I unit. The Pt^II unit links two B(ppy)Mes₂ together in Pt‐B , thereby extending the π‐conjugation through both chelate backbones and leading to a very low QE of the photoisomerization. In addition, only one boron unit in Pt‐B undergoes photoisomerization. The isomerization of the second boron unit is quenched by an intramolecular energy transfer of the excitation energy to the low‐energy absorption band of the isomerized boron unit. TD‐DFT computations and spectroscopic studies of the three metal‐containing boron compounds confirm that the photoisomerization of the B(ppy)Mes₂ chromophore proceeds through a triplet photoactive state and that metal units with suitable triplet energies can be used to tune this system.     

Theoretical study of the CO catalytic oxidation on Au/SAPO‐11 zeolite

Quantum chemistry calculations were carried out, using ONIOM2 methodology, to investigate the CO adsorption and oxidation on gold supported on Silicoaluminophospates (SAPO) molecular sieves Au/SAPO‐11 catalysts. Two models were studied, one containing one Au atom per site (Au? SAPO‐11), and the other with two Au atoms per site (Au₂? SAPO‐11). The results reveal that the CO adsorption and oxidation are exothermic on Au/SAPO11 with an ΔE of ?41.0 kcal/mol and ΔE = ?52.0 kcal/mol, for the adsorption and oxidation, respectively. On the Au₂? SAPO‐11 model, the CO adsorption and oxidation reaction occur, with a ΔE of ?29.7 kcal/mol and ?52 kcal/mol, respectively. According to our results, the oxidation reaction exhibits an Eley‐Rideal type mechanism with adsorbed CO. The theoretical calculations reveal that this type of material could be interesting to disperse Au and consequently to strengthen its catalytic use for different reactions. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem 110:2573–2582, 2010     

Catalytic performance and structural characterization of ferric oxide and its composite oxides supported gold catalysts for low-temperature CO oxidation

The preparation and catalytic activity of ferric oxide and its composite oxides supported gold catalysts for low-temperature CO oxidation were investigated detailedly, and characterized extensively by XRD, XPS, TPR, EC and XAFS techniques. It was found that containing highly dispersed Au of partially oxidized state, these nano-structured oxides supported Au/Fe2O3 and Au/NiFe2O4 catalysts had higher low-temperature activities. The possible catalytic active center is the gold of partially oxidized state (Auζ+).     

通过CeOx修饰提高金纳米颗粒在CO氧化反应中的催化活性和耐久性

CO催化氧化是一个重要的经典反应,与许多应用息息相关,包括痕量CO气体检测、汽车尾气净化和安全防护等,吸引了人们广泛的研究兴趣.负载型Au纳米颗粒在CO氧化等许多反应中有着与众不同的催化活性,具有广泛的应用前景,但依然存在着稳定性差、易团聚失活的问题.人们通过应用多孔载体隔离Au纳米颗粒,在Au纳米颗粒表面覆盖金属氧化物、二氧化硅或碳,以及对Au纳米粒子进行封装等方法解决这些问题.尤其是利用金属氧化物与Au纳米粒子间的强相互作用对其进行覆盖或封装,有效地提高了Au催化材料的稳定性.但以上策略操作流程复杂,不利于应用.本文发展了一种简单有效的方法,通过EDTA的络合作用引入CeOx对Au纳米粒子进行修饰,得到的CeOx@Au/SiO2催化剂活性和耐久性明显提升.采用X射线衍射(XRD)和高分辨透射电子显微镜(HRTEM)证明了CeOx成功地修饰在Au纳米颗粒上.且通过EDTA引入CeOx所制备的CeOx@Au/SiO2催化剂结构明显不同于直接加入纳米CeO2所得到的CeOx-Au/SiO2的结构.EDTA的络合作用能有效地连结Ce与Au物种,经焙烧消除EDTA后,加强了CeOx与Au间相互作用,最终在Au纳米粒子表面形成丰富的CeOx颗粒与原子级厚度的CeOx层.进一步应用X射线光电子能谱(XPS)和氢气程序升温还原(H2-TPR)等手段研究了CeOx修饰对Au纳米粒子的影响.XPS结果表明,CeOx@Au/SiO2催化剂带正电的Au+和Au3+的浓度明显高于一般的Au/SiO2和直接加入CeO2制备得到的CeOx-Au/SiO2催化剂.H2-TPR同样表明,CeOx修饰调变了Au纳米粒子的氧化还原性.这些均对其在CO催化氧化反应中的催化活性具有重要影响将CeOx@Au/SiO2催化剂用于CO催化氧化反应中,160°C时,CO转化率达98.8％,至180°C后实现了CO的完全转化.而一般的Au/SiO2催化剂在160°C时CO转化率仅为4.0％,CO的完全转化则需340°C.直接加入纳米CeO2所得到的CeOx-Au/SiO2催化剂,其催化活性略有提升,CO完全转化所需的温度为300°C.这充分证明了通过CeOx修饰Au纳米粒子,能有效提升其催化活性.原位漫反射红外光谱(DRIFT)结果表明,CeOx修饰促进了CO在Au表面的吸附,并能形成[Au(CO)2]δ+物种;同时还观察到大量的单齿CO32? 物种信号,反映了CeOx@Au/SiO2催化剂表面存在丰富的活性氧物种.通入O2后,观察到了大量CO32?物种信号和气相CO2,印证了催化剂表面发生的CO催化氧化过程,也表明其具有非常高的催化活性.考察了CeOx@Au/SiO2催化剂的耐久性,发现经50 h CO氧化反应,催化剂依然能有效保持活性.相比之下,Au/SiO2催化剂经10 h反应后,开始明显失活.由此可见,CeOx@Au/SiO2催化剂具有相当高的耐久性.在600°C将催化剂焙烧3 h,发现Au/SiO2催化剂中Au纳米粒子存在明显团聚现象,而CeOx@Au/SiO2催化剂的Au纳米粒子依然均匀分布在载体表面,且粒径未发生明显变化.     

The Structural Diversity Triggered by Intermolecular Interactions between AuIS2 Groups: Aurophilia and Beyond

The present study is aimed at elucidating the factors that direct the assembly of a specific family of Au^I species. The assembly of Au^I centers and dithiocarboxylato or xanthato ligands results in a surprising structural diversity observed by single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction. However, in solution, just evidences for discrete bimetallic [Au₂L₂] species have been observed. Interestingly, when dithiocarboxylato ligands have been used, a reversible supramolecular assembly has been observed forming the supramolecules of formulae [Au₂L₂]₂ and [Au₂L₂]₃. Initial studies on luminescent properties have been carried out at variable temperature. All the compounds show red emissions in the solid state at very similar energies, suggesting that the intramolecular interactions play a more relevant role in the luminescent properties than the intermolecular ones. The computational studies indicate that not only Au???Au interactions, but also Au???S and S???S ones play a role in the structure and energetic of the supramolecular species, as well as for the choice between supramolecular association or intramolecular oligomerization.     

Mechanism of CO oxidation in excess H2 over CuO/CeO2 catalysts: ESR and TPD studies

The oxidation of CO with oxygen over (0.25–6.4)% CuO/CeO₂ catalysts in excess H₂ is studied. CO conversion increases and the temperature range of the reaction decreases by 100 K as the CuO content is raised. The maximal CO conversion, 98.5%, is achieved on 6.4% CuO/CeO₂ at 150°C. At T > 150°C, the CO conversion decreases as a result of the deactivation of part of the active sites because of the dissociative adsorption of hydrogen. CO is efficiently adsorbed on the oxidized catalyst to form CO-Cu⁺ carbonyls on Cu₂O clusters and is oxidized by the oxygen of these clusters, whereas it is neither adsorbed nor oxidized on Cu⁰ of the reduced catalysts. The activity of the catalysts is recovered after the dissociative adsorption of O₂ on Cu⁰ at T ～ 150°C. The activation energies of CO, CO₂, and H₂O desorption are estimated, and the activation energy of CO adsorption yielding CO-Cu⁺ carbonyls is calculated in the framework of the Langmuir-Hinshelwood model.     

Ligand‐Stabilized and Atomically Precise Gold Nanocluster Catalysis: A Case Study for Correlating Fundamental Electronic Properties with Catalysis

We present results from our investigations into correlating the styrene‐oxidation catalysis of atomically precise mixed‐ligand biicosahedral‐structure [Au₂₅(PPh₃)₁₀(SC₁₂H₂₅)₅Cl₂]²⁺ (Au₂₅‐bi) and thiol‐stabilized icosahedral core–shell‐structure [Au₂₅(SCH₂CH₂Ph)₁₈]^? (Au₂₅‐i) clusters with their electronic and atomic structure by using a combination of synchrotron radiation‐based X‐ray absorption fine‐structure spectroscopy (XAFS) and ultraviolet photoemission spectroscopy (UPS). Compared to bulk Au, XAFS revealed low Au–Au coordination, Au? Au bond contraction and higher d‐band vacancies in both the ligand‐stabilized Au clusters. The ligands were found not only to act as colloidal stabilizers, but also as d‐band electron acceptor for Au atoms. Au₂₅‐bi clusters have a higher first‐shell Au coordination number than Au₂₅‐i, whereas Au₂₅‐bi and Au₂₅‐i clusters have the same number of Au atoms. The UPS revealed a trend of narrower d‐band width, with apparent d‐band spin–orbit splitting and higher binding energy of d‐band center position for Au₂₅‐bi and Au₂₅‐i. We propose that the differences in their d‐band unoccupied state population are likely to be responsible for differences in their catalytic activity and selectivity. The findings reported herein help to understand the catalysis of atomically precise ligand‐stabilized metal clusters by correlating their atomic or electronic properties with catalytic activity.     

The 3[ndσ*(n+1)pσ] Emissions of Linear Silver(I) and Gold(I) Chains with Bridging Phosphine Ligands

The complexes [Au₃(dcmp)₂][X]₃ {dcmp=bis(dicyclohexylphosphinomethyl)cyclohexylphosphine; X=Cl^? ( 1 ), ClO₄^? ( 2 ), OTf^? ( 3 ), PF₆^? ( 4 ), SCN^?( 5 )}, [Ag₃(dcmp)₂][ClO₄]₃ ( 6 ), and [Ag₃(dcmp)₂Cl₂][ClO₄] ( 7 ) were prepared and their structures were determined by X‐ray crystallography. Complexes 2 – 4 display a high‐energy emission band with λ_max at 442–452 nm, whereas 1 and 5 display a low‐energy emission with λ_max at 558–634 nm in both solid state and in dichloromethane at 298 K. The former is assigned to the ³[5dσ*6pσ] excited state of [Au₃(dcmp)₂]³⁺, whereas the latter is attributed to an exciplex formed between the ³[5dσ*6pσ] excited state of [Au₃(dcmp)₂]³⁺ and the counterions. In solid state, complex [Ag₃(dcmp)₂][ClO₄]₃ ( 6 ) displays an intense emission band at 375 nm with a Stokes shift of ≈7200 cm^?1 from the ¹[4dσ*→5pσ] absorption band at 295 nm. The 375 nm emission band is assigned to the emission directly from the ³[4dσ^*5pσ] excited state of 6 . Density functional theory (DFT) calculations revealed that the absorption and emission energies are inversely proportional to the number of metal ions (n) in polynuclear Au^I and Ag^I linear chain complexes without close metal???anion contacts. The emission energies are extrapolated to be 715 and 446 nm for the infinite linear Au^I and Ag^I chains, respectively, at metal???metal distances of about 2.93–3.02 Å. A QM/MM calculation on the model [Au₃(dcmp)₂Cl₂]⁺ system, with Au???Cl contacts of 2.90–3.10 Å, gave optimized Au???Au distances of 2.99–3.11 Å in its lowest triplet excited state and the emission energies were calculated to be at approximately 600–690 nm, which are assigned to a three‐coordinate Au^I site with its spectroscopic properties affected by Au^I???Au^I interactions.     

Avoiding Self‐Poisoning: A Key Feature for the High Activity of Au/Mg(OH)2 Catalysts in Continuous Low‐Temperature CO Oxidation

Au/Mg(OH)₂ catalysts have been reported to be far more active in the catalytic low‐temperature CO oxidation (below 0 °C) than the thoroughly investigated Au/TiO₂ catalysts. Based on kinetic and in situ infrared spectroscopy (DRIFTS) measurements, we demonstrate that the comparatively weak interaction of Au/Mg(OH)₂ with CO₂ formed during the low‐temperature reaction is the main reason for the superior catalyst performance. This feature enables rapid product desorption and hence continuous CO oxidation at temperatures well below 0 °C. At these temperatures, Au/TiO₂ also catalyzes CO₂ formation, but does not allow for CO₂ desorption, which results in self‐poisoning. At higher temperatures (above 0 °C), however, CO₂ formation is rate‐limiting, which results in a much higher activity for Au/TiO₂ under these reaction conditions.     

Light‐Induced Mechanistic Divergence in Gold(I) Catalysis: Revisiting the Reactivity of Diazonium Salts

In a systematic study of the Au‐catalyzed reaction of o‐alkynylphenols with aryldiazonium salts, we find that essentially the same reaction conditions lead to a change in mechanism when a light source is applied. If the reaction is carried out at room temperature using a Au^I catalyst, the diazonium salt undergoes electrophilic deauration of a vinyl Au^I intermediate and provides access to substituted azobenzofurans. If the reaction mixture is irradiated with blue LED light, C?C bond formation due to N₂‐extrusion from the diazonium salt is realized selectively, using the same starting materials without the need for an additional photo(redox) catalyst under aerobic conditions. We report a series of experiments demonstrating that the same vinyl Au^I intermediate is capable of producing the observed products under photolytic and thermal conditions. The finding that a vinyl Au^I complex can directly, without the need for an additional photo(redox) catalyst, result in C?C bond formation under photolytic conditions is contrary to the proposed mechanistic pathways suggested in the literature till date and highlights that the role of oxidation state changes in photoredox catalysis involving Au is thus far only poorly understood and may hold surprises for the future. Computational results indicate that photochemical activation can occur directly from a donor–acceptor complex formed between the vinyl Au^I intermediate and the diazonium salt.     

Luminescent Di‐ and Polynuclear Organometallic Gold(I)–Metal (Au2, {Au2Ag}n and {Au2Cu}n) Compounds Containing Bidentate Phosphanes as Active Antimicrobial Agents

The reaction of new dinuclear gold(I) organometallic complexes containing mesityl ligands and bridging bidentate phosphanes [Au₂(mes)₂(μ‐LL)] (LL=dppe: 1,2‐bis(diphenylphosphano)ethane 1 a , and water‐soluble dppy: 1,2‐bis(di‐3‐pyridylphosphano)ethane 1 b ) with Ag⁺ and Cu⁺ lead to the formation of a family of heterometallic clusters with mesityl bridging ligands of the general formula [Au₂M(μ‐mes)₂(μ‐LL)][A] (M=Ag, A=ClO₄^?, LL=dppe 2 a , dppy 2 b ; M=Ag, A=SO₃CF₃^?, LL=dppe 3 a , dppy 3 b ; M=Cu, A=PF₆^?, LL=dppe 4 a , dppy 4 b ). The new compounds were characterized by different spectroscopic techniques and mass spectrometry The crystal structures of [Au₂(mes)₂(μ‐dppy)] ( 1 b ) and [Au₂Ag(μ‐mes)₂(μ‐dppe)][SO₃CF₃] ( 3 a ) were determined by a single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction study. 3 a in solid state is not a cyclic trinuclear Au₂Ag derivative but it gives an open polymeric structure instead, with the {Au₂(μ‐dppe)} fragments “linked” by {Ag(μ‐mes)₂} units. The very short distances of 2.7559(6) Å (Au? Ag) and 2.9229(8) Å (Au? Au) are indicative of gold–silver (metallophilic) and aurophilic interactions. A systematic study of their luminescence properties revealed that all compounds are brightly luminescent in solid state, at room temperature (RT) and at 77 K, or in frozen DMSO solutions with lifetimes in the microsecond range and probably due to the self‐aggregation of [Au₂M(μ‐mes)₂(μ‐LL)]⁺ units (M=Ag or Cu; LL=dppe or dppy) into an extended chain structure, through Au? Au and/or Au? M metallophilic interactions, as that observed for 3 a . In solid state the heterometallic Au₂M complexes with dppe ( 2 a – 4 a ) show a shift of emission maxima (from ca. 430 to the range of 520‐540 nm) as compared to the parent dinuclear organometallic product 1 a while the complexes with dppy ( 2 b–4 b ) display a more moderate shift (505 for 1 b to a max of 563 nm for 4 b ). More importantly, compound [Au₂Ag(μ‐mes)₂(μ‐dppy)]ClO₄ ( 2 b ) resulted luminescent in diluted DMSO solution at room temperature. Previously reported compound [Au₂Cl₂(μ‐LL)] (LL dppy 5 b ) was also studied for comparative purposes. The antimicrobial activity of 1–5 and Ag[A] (A=ClO₄^?, SO₃CF₃^?) against Gram‐positive and Gram‐negative bacteria and yeast was evaluated. Most tested compounds displayed moderate to high antibacterial activity while heteronuclear Au₂M derivatives with dppe ( 2 a – 4 a ) were the more active (minimum inhibitory concentration 10 to 1 μg mL^?1). Compounds containing silver were ten times more active to Gram‐negative bacteria than the parent dinuclear compound 1 a or silver salts. Au₂Ag compounds with dppy ( 2 b , 3 b ) were also potent against fungi.     

Does enhanced oxygen activation always facilitate CO oxidation on gold clusters?

We investigate the catalytic activity of the subnanometer‐sized bimetallic Au₁₉Pt cluster for oxidation of CO via first‐principles density functional theory calculations. For this purpose we consider two structurally similar and energetically close homotops of the Au₁₉Pt cluster with the Pt atom occupying an edge (Td‐E) or a facet (Td‐S) site of a 20‐atom tetrahedron. Using these homotops as catalysts we calculate the complete reaction paths and the thermodynamic functions corresponding to the oxidation of CO to CO₂. It is found that the oxidation of CO on the Td‐S isomer occurs through a smaller reaction barrier (0.38 eV) as compared with that on the Td‐E isomer (0.70 eV), although the activation of O₂ on the latter is much higher than that on the former. Therefore, a clear conclusion is that a higher O₂ activation, which is generally believed to be the key factor for CO oxidation, solely cannot determine the catalytic efficiency of the Au‐Pt bimetallic clusters. In addition, we find a stronger CO adsorption on the Td‐E isomer (2.06 eV) as compared with that on the Td‐S isomer (1.68 eV). Although stronger CO adsorption on the Td‐E isomer leads to a higher O₂ activation; however, high value of CO adsorption energy deteriorates the catalytic activity of the Td‐E isomer towards the CO oxidation reaction. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.