The Origin of the Selectivity and Activity of Ruthenium‐Cluster Catalysts for Fuel‐Cell Feed‐Gas Purification: A Gas‐Phase Approach

Gas‐phase ruthenium clusters Ru_n⁺ (n=2–6) are employed as model systems to discover the origin of the outstanding performance of supported sub‐nanometer ruthenium particles in the catalytic CO methanation reaction with relevance to the hydrogen feed‐gas purification for advanced fuel‐cell applications. Using ion‐trap mass spectrometry in conjunction with first‐principles density functional theory calculations three fundamental properties of these clusters are identified which determine the selectivity and catalytic activity: high reactivity toward CO in contrast to inertness in the reaction with CO₂; promotion of cooperatively enhanced H₂ coadsorption and dissociation on pre‐formed ruthenium carbonyl clusters, that is, no CO poisoning occurs; and the presence of Ru‐atom sites with a low number of metal–metal bonds, which are particularly active for H₂ coadsorption and activation. Furthermore, comprehensive theoretical investigations provide mechanistic insight into the CO methanation reaction and discover a reaction route involving the formation of a formyl‐type intermediate.     

Hyperfine coupling constants of the azafullerenes C19N, C59N, C69N, and C75N

The isomers of the nitrogen-substituted fullerenes (azafullerenes) C19N, C59N, C69N, and C75N are examined using all-electron Gaussian atomic orbital basis density functional theory, to determine the doublet radical geometries and hyperfine coupling constants. We find that the inaccuracy of previously calculated hyperfine coupling constants of C59N resulted from a poor treatment of the geometry optimization. We find that UB3LYP minimization of the radical geometry in the 6-31G basis, followed by single-point evaluation of the hyperfine constants in which an expanded basis is used on the atomic sites of interest, forms an efficient compromise between computational cost and accuracy with respect to experimental hyperfine constants. Using this approach, we assign the hyperfine signals observed in experiments on the C69N radical by calculating the hyperfine coupling constants for all five of the isomers and examine the electron spin density distribution. Finally, we present predicted hyperfine coupling constants for the isomers of C19N and C75N for use in the interpretation of future experiments.     

Reactions of (CF3)3BCO with amines and phosphines

Reactions of tris(trifluoromethyl)borane carbonyl, (CF(3))(3)BCO, with ammonia yielded either a mixture of [NH(4)][(CF(3))(3)BC(O)NH(2)], [NH(4)][(CF(3))(3)BCN], and [NH(4)](2)[{(CF(3))(3)BC(O)}(2)NH] or neat [NH(4)](2)[{(CF(3))(3)BC(O)}(2)NH] depending on the reaction conditions. The salt K[(CF(3))(3)BC(O)NH(2)] was obtained as the sole product from the reaction of NH(3) with K[(CF(3))(3)BC(O)F]. A simple synthesis for cyanotris(trifluoromethyl)borates, M[(CF(3))(3)BCN], was developed by dehydration of M[(CF(3))(3)BC(O)NH(2)] (M = [NH(4)], K) using phosgene. In addition, syntheses of the tris(trifluoromethyl)boron species [(CF(3))(3)BC(O)NH(n)()Pr](-), [(CF(3))(3)BC(O)NMe(2)](-), and (CF(3))(3)BC(O)NMe(3), as well as of (CF(3))(3)BC(O)PMe(3), were performed. All species were characterized by multinuclear NMR spectroscopy. As far as neat substances resulted, IR and Raman spectra were recorded and their thermal behaviors were studied by differential scanning calorimetry. The interpretation of reaction pathways, structures, and vibrational spectra are supported by DFT calculations. The solid-state structure of K(2)[{(CF(3))(3)BC(O)}(2)NH].2MeCN was determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction.     

2‐Hydro­xy‐1‐naphth­aldehyde 2‐methyl­thio­semicarbazone

The potentially tridentate O,N,S‐donor ligand, 2‐hydroxy‐1‐naphth­aldehyde 2‐methyl­thio­semicarbazone, C₁₃H₁₃N₃OS, has been structurally characterized and the mol­ecule is found to exhibit a distorted planar structure with the thio­semicarbazide moiety being twisted slightly out of the plane defined by the naphthyl ring.     

Azedaralide: total synthesis, relative and absolute stereochemical assignment

Azedaralide, a potentially advanced intermediate for the total synthesis of various tetranortriterpenes, was constructed utilising the Fernández-Mateos protocol and assigned both relative and absolute stereochemistries. Both asymmetric aldol and classical chiral resolution attempts failed to deliver pure enantiomers whereas preparative chiral chromatography resolved racemic azedaralide with ease.     

Equilibrating parent aminomercaptocarbene and CO2 with 2-amino-2-thioxoacetic acid via heavy-atom quantum tunneling

The search for methods to bind CO₂ and use it synthetically as a C₁-building block under mild conditions is an ongoing endeavor of great urgency. The formation of heterocyclic carbene–carbon dioxide adducts occurs rapidly when the carbene is generated in solution in the presence of CO₂. Here we demonstrate the reversible formation of a complex of the hitherto unreported aminomercaptocarbene (H₂N–$\ddot{C}$–SH) with CO₂ isolated in solid argon by photolysis of 2-amino-2-thioxoacetic acid. Remarkably, the complex disappears in the dark as deduced by time-dependent matrix infrared measurements, and equilibrates back to the covalently bound starting material. This kinetically excluded process below ca. 8 K is made possible through heavy-atom quantum mechanical tunneling, as also evident from density functional theory and ab initio computations at the CCSD(T)/cc-pVTZ level of theory. Our results provide insight into CO₂ activation using a carbene and emphasize the role of quantum mechanical tunneling in organic processes, even involving heavy atoms.

A novel heterosubstituted carbene spontaneously binds CO₂ in a tunneling reaction under cryogenic conditions.