Special issue: nano-catalysts and nano-technologies for green organic synthesis

Catalysis by transition-metal nanoparticles has undergone an explosive growth during the past decade. This special issue presents the general trends in the current research in this field, the present situation concerning scope and limitations, as well as the future perspectives. Original contributions are also presented on the applications of nano-catalysts to the green synthesis.     

Formation mechanism and size control in one-pot synthesis of mercapto-silica colloidal spheres

Mercapto-silica spheres with controllable size from ～150 nm to ～3.5 μm and narrow size distribution have been prepared in water using a one-pot synthesis, in which 3-mercaptopropyltrimethoxysilane (MPS) was used as the sole silica source and ammonia as the base catalyst. The hydrolysis of MPS at the early stage of the reaction produces amphiphilic silicate species which initiate the self-emulsification of the system and lead to the formation of oil-in-water emulsion droplets. Further hydrolysis and condensation promote the nucleation and growth of the mercapto-silica spheres inside the emulsion droplets. These mercapto-silica spheres are both structurally and functionally different from typical silica particles prepared from silicon alkoxides. Understanding the formation mechanism allows systematic tuning of the size of mercapto-silica spheres in a wide range by changing the amount of precursor, the concentration of ammonia, the amount of additional surfactants, and the reaction time. We find that Ostwald ripening may occur quickly if the spheres are kept in the reaction solution, resulting in significant broadening of the particle size distribution. In order to obtain uniform and stable samples, it is important to quench the growth of the mercapto-silica spheres by separating them from the original reaction mixture and then storing them in solvents that can prevent further ripening.     

The direct synthesis of triorganotin compounds: Process and reaction mechanism

The reaction of tin metal with alkyl halides in the presence of a stoichiometric amount of halide ion rapidly produces very high yields of triorganotin halides. An overview of these reaction conditions and those required for the catalytic preparation of diorganotin dihalides shows that these preparations follow the normal reactivity of the alkyl halides towards nucleophiles. Both processes are satisfactorily explained by a mechanism involving tin halogenoanions as nucleophiles. A similar mechanism also explains the formation of organomagnesium and organozinc halides.     

Theoretical study of DABCO-based ionic liquid: synthesis and reaction mechanism

Quaternary ammonium salt obtained from the Menshutkin reaction between DABCO and benzyl chloride has been used in the synthesis of a novel Bronsted acidic ionic liquid (IL), namely 1-benzyl-4-(sulfobutyl)-diaza-bicyclo-octane hydrogen sulfate. The reaction of DABCO with benzyl chloride is a crucial step in the synthesis of this IL. Density functional theory calculations at B3LYP/6-31G(d,p) level have been employed to investigate the mechanism of Menshutkin reaction by calculating the energy barriers through possible transition states i.e., five-membered ring transition state and S_N2 transition state in gas phase and in diethyl ether as a solvent. It was found that while DABCO reacts with benzyl chloride through the well-known S_N2 transition state mechanism, the corresponding reaction with chlorodiphenylmethane can proceed through both S_N2 and five-membered ring transition state mechanism. However, S_N2 transition state mechanism is still the strongly preferred one out of the two possible mechanisms. The electronic structure analysis shows that solvent effects and enhanced resonance stabilization may play a decisive role in guiding the reaction pathway.     

The ethanol electrooxidation reaction at rough PtRu electrodeposits: A FTIRS study

In this work, the yields of CO₂ and acetic acid are studied as a function of the roughness of PtRu electrodeposits of fixed atomic composition during the electrooxidation of ethanol in the presence of 0.1 M HClO₄. Based in the findings of a previous work, electrodeposits of three roughnesses (calculated using Scanning Tunneling Microscopy) were prepared and ethanol electrooxidation products were monitored in situ, using FTIR spectroscopy. The results confirm that the pathway producing CO₂ is favored at rougher surfaces and are interpreted on the basis of the existence of a major number of superficial defects at theses surfaces which favors the scission of C–C bonds.     

Microchip-based synthesis and analysis: control of multicomponent reaction products and intermediates

A miniaturised-SYNthesis and Total Analysis System (mu SYNTAS) was used for the solution-phase synthesis and on-line analysis (TOF-MS) of Ugi multicomponent reaction (MCR) products. This approach provides an unusually high degree of control of the MCR and delivers detailed, novel information on reaction intermediates in real-time. Specifically, the Ugi 4 component condensation (4CC) involving the reaction of an amine, acid, aldehyde and isocyanide species was performed at room temperature in a controllable fashion. Furthermore, observation of the nitrilium intermediate, cyclohexyl(2-piperidin-1-ylethylidyne)ammonium chloride, is presented for the first time.     

A direct reaction approach for the synthesis of zeolitic imidazolate frameworks: template and temperature mediated control on network topology and crystal size

The direct acid-base reaction between ZnO/CoO/Co(OH)(2) and imidazolic ligands under moderate heating (100-160 °C), in a closed vessel, leads to the generation of the corresponding zinc/cobalt-imidazolates in a high yield (87-97%) in which network topology is controlled by the addition of small amounts of structure directing agents. Moreover, the fine tuning of the thermal process at the synthetic stage permits us to increase the crystal size, and even to grow X-ray quality single crystals.     

Size-selected methyl lactate clusters: fragmentation and spectroscopic fingerprints of chiral recognition

A comprehensive experimental study of the OH stretching vibrations of size-selected clusters of enantiopure and racemic methyl lactate is presented. For the size selection, we measured angular dependent mass spectra and time-of-flight distributions at the different fragment masses. In this way the fragmentation of these clusters upon electron impact ionization is obtained. The largest fragment masses of the neutral (MLac)n clusters are the protonated (MLac)n-1H+ ions. The results of a pressure dependent study in an FTIR jet experiment are compared with completely size-selected experiments based on atomic beam deflection and depletion spectroscopy. The size assignments and spectra agree for dimers and trimers. Structures and spectral information for the trimer and the tetramer at density functional and MP2 level are provided. Selective self-aggregation and chiral recognition was observed for homochiral trimers. They exhibit a ring structure bound by OH...OH hydrogen bonds. A spectacular switch in the hydrogen bonding topology was observed for the tetramer. The homochiral enantiomer exhibits cooperative OH...OH bonding, while the heterochiral version shows isolated OH...O=C bonding in a symmetric SRSR arrangement. The crucial ingredients for this identification are the size-selective IR spectra with their different shifts and line patterns which are reproduced by the calculations.     

On the synthesis of RuSe oxygen reduction nano-catalysts for direct methanol fuel cells

Journal of Solid State Electrochemistry - Oxygen reduction reaction has a crucial role in energy conversion systems such as fuel cells. State-of-the-art Pt-based cathode catalysts suffer from low...     

直接甲醇燃料电池阳极催化剂PtRu/MWCNTs的水热合成及其电催化行为

采用水热法合成了PtRu/MWCNTs阳极催化剂,并以循环伏安、线性扫描、计时电流和交流阻抗等电化学测试研究了其对甲醇的电催化氧化,结果表明,水热合成的PtRu/MWCNTs较之同样条件下合成的PtRu/Vu lcan XC-72有更好的对甲醇氧化的催化活性和更强的抗毒化能力。     

Monodispersed Pd-Ni nanoparticles: composition control synthesis and catalytic properties in the Miyaura-Suzuki reaction

We have successfully prepared a series of magnetically separable "quasi-homogeneous" Pd-Ni nanoalloy catalysts with tunable composition in a one-pot wet chemical route. We have evaluated the catalytic activity of these Pd-Ni alloy catalysts with different compositions through the Miyaura-Suzuki coupling reaction. These palladium/non-noble metal alloy catalysts show better catalytic activity than an equal amount of palladium nanoparticles. Furthermore, these catalysts exhibited excellent performance in superparamagnetism owing to its great advantage for reducing the usage of noble metal.     

Theoretical study on the synthesis reaction mechanism of trichlorogermyl crylic acid

The synthesis reaction of trichlorogermyl crylic acid has been studied systematically by using quantum chemistry methods for the first time.Geometries of reactants,transition states,and products have been optimized,respectively at the B3LYP/6-311G（d,p） level.Vibrational frequencies,IR intensities and relative energies for various stationary points have been determined.The reaction pathways are identified by intrinsic reaction coordinate（IRC）calculations.Theoretical analysis provided conclusive evidence that the process is completed through five pathways of addition reaction of double bond,and the transition states are found to be four- membered ring compounds.Solvent effects are taken into account with the PCM model at the same level.This preliminary study shows that the complex formation is favored by the use of polar solvent.     

“Emulsifier-free” emulsion copolymerization of styrene and butylacrylate: particle size control with synthesis parameters

 This paper presents the synthesis of film-forming particles with controlled diameters. The copolymerization of styrene and butylacrylate is realized by emulsion synthesis in the presence of potassium sulfopropylmethacrylate (SPM), an ionogenic monomer and sodium bicarbonate. The initiator, ammonium persulfate, and the SPM ensure the stabilization of particles. After the particles are washed, their diameters are measured by Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS) with a Zetasizer 3 (Malvern). The particle diameters are controlled by SPM concentration and the ionic strength of the medium. An increase of ionic strength, at constant [SPM], increases diameters, though an increase of [SPM], at constant ionic strength, decreases diameters. The experimental results are interpreted by two different modelizations, either by log–log equations like in the literature, or by semi-log and exponential equations. The latter ones give better modelization. Received: 18 July 1997 Accepted: 3 March 1998     

New versatile mechanism of enzymatic synthesis of adenosine triphosphate: theoretical foundation and experimental control

The energies of electron transfer between pyrophosphate metal complexes and hydrated metal complexes, which is the key reaction that models the radical ion mechanism of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) synthesis, were calculated. A threshold dependence of the energy on the number of water molecules n in the ion hydration sphere was established: for n < 4 the reaction is exothermic, while for n ≥ 4 it is endothermic. The switching of the energy regime accounts for the fact that ATP is synthesized only in molecular machines, enzymes, rather than in homogeneous aqueous solutions. It was predicted theoretically that the radical ion ATP synthesis may be catalyzed by not only magnesium ions as in living cells but also by calcium, zinc, barium, cadmium, and tin ions. This prediction was experimentally confirmed by the discovery of the magnetic isotope effect in the calcium- and zinc-catalyzed ATP synthesis by creatine kinase. The efficiency of ATP synthesis in the presence of ions with magnetic nuclei ⁴³Ca and ⁶⁷Zn is almost twice as high as that in the presence of the same ions with nonmagnetic nuclei ⁴⁰Ca and ⁶⁴Zn.     

Titania-silver and alumina-silver composite nanoparticles: novel, versatile synthesis, reaction mechanism and potential antimicrobial application

Titania-silver (TiO(2)-Ag) and alumina-silver (Al(2)O(3)-Ag) composite nanoparticles were synthesised by a simple, reproducible, wet chemical method under ambient conditions. The surface of the oxides was modified with oleic acid, which acted as an intermediate between the oxide surface and the silver nanoparticles. The resulting composite nanoparticles were thoroughly characterised by XRD, TEM, XPS, FTIR and TGA to elucidate the mode of assembly of Ag nanoparticles on the oxide surfaces. Epoxy nanocomposites were formulated with TiO(2)-Ag and Al(2)O(3)-Ag to examine potential applications for the composite nanoparticles. Preliminary results from disc diffusion assays against Escherichia coli DH5α and Staphylococcus epidermidis NCIMB 12721 suggest that these TiO(2)-Ag and Al(2)O(3)-Ag composite nanoparticles have potential as antimicrobial materials.     

First synthesis of 2'-deoxyfluoropuromycin analogues: experimental insight into the mechanism of the Staudinger reaction

The N(6),N(6)-dedimethyl-2'-deoxyfluoro analogue of puromycin (= 3'-deoxy-N(6),N(6)-dimethyl-3'-[O-methyltyrosylamido]adenosine), its 2',3'-regioisomer and a 3'-cytidyl-5'-(2'-deoxyfluoro)puromycyl dinucleotide analogue were synthesized following an approach involving i) the diastereospecific nitrite-assisted formation of a lyxo nucleosidic 2',3'-epoxide from an adenosine-2',3'-ditriflate derivative in a biphasic solvent mixture; ii) the regio- and stereoselective epoxide ring opening with sodium azide under mildly acidic aqueous conditions, iii) the stereospecific introduction of the fluor atom using DAST and iv) the reaction between the nucleosidyl or dinucleotidyl azide and an active ester of the N-protected amino acid using highly efficient solution conditions for the Staudinger-Vilarrasa coupling, to obtain the corresponding carboxamide directly from the in situ formed iminophosphorane. This coupling reaction furnished sterically quite demanding amides in 94 % isolated yields under very mild conditions and should therefore be of a more general value. Under certain reaction conditions we isolated (amino)acyltriazene derivatives from which dinitrogen was not eliminated. These secondary products are trapped and stabilized witnesses of the first intermediate of the Staudinger reaction, the phosphatriazenes (phosphazides, triazaphosphadienes) which usually eliminate dinitrogen in situ and rapidly rearrange into iminophosphoranes, unless they are derived from conjugated or sterically bulky azides and phosphines. The acyltriazenes could either be thermally decomposed or converted to the corresponding N-alkyl carboxamides through proton-assisted elimination of dinitrogen. All compounds were carefully characterized through MS spectrometry, (1)H, (19)F, (31)P and (13)C NMR spectroscopy.     

Antimony(III) chloride-catalysed Biginelli reaction: a versatile method for the synthesis of dihydropyrimidinones through a different reaction mechanism

Antimony(III) chloride (20 mol %) in refluxing acetonitrile efficiently catalyses the synthesis of dihydropyrimidinones (50-90% yields) by the Biginelli reaction of aromatic aldehydes, acetoacetate esters and urea. This reaction proceeds through 3-ureido-crotonates followed by cyclisation with an aromatic aldehyde to the dihydropyrimidinone.     

Diastereoselective synthesis of highly functionalized quinolizines via a pyridine-based three-component reaction and a DFT investigation on the reaction mechanism

Novel, one-pot, three-component reactions of the zwitterions generated in situ from pyridine and acetylenic esters with alkoxymethylenemalononitriles via 1,4-dipolar cycloadditions are described. The reactions afforded dialkyl 1,1-dicyano-2-alkoxy-1,9a-dihydro-2H-quinolizine-3,4-dicarboxylate derivatives in good to high yields without using any catalyst or activation. Structural, electronic, energetic, and mechanistic details of the reaction are also revealed by density functional theory (DFT) calculations, which strongly support the exclusive formation of the observed products.