Theoretical study of the reaction of alkynes with furan catalyzed by AuCl3 and AuCl

A general scheme for the endo‐ and exo‐cyclization of furan reactivity with [L ‐Au^{III, I}Cl_x] with (x = 3, 1 and L ‐acetylene and vinylidene) complexes is investigated using density functional theory (DFT) code. Two conceivable mechanisms via a [4 + 2] Diels–Alder process or carbene complex are analyzed. According to the activation energy values of the gold (III and I) catalyst, the first mechanism, which implies the Diels–Alder reaction of Au^III, is thermodynamically favored and gives more evidence of the intramolecular addition of the furan with the alkynes. The second mechanism, presumably assisted by the spontaneous formation of the exo‐vinylidene complexes and intermediates of gold (III, I) by forming the carbene complex, is kinetically favored. Additionally, we compare our results with other structures with intramolecular additions that exhibit the quasi‐similarity of gold analogue structures. Differences in activation energies are observed, according to the functional used. Finally, we probe the solvent effects, which decrease the energy barrier in the path. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem, 2007     

含金属纳米粒子的层层自组装及单壁碳纳米管的催化生长

利用层间的静电吸附作用，重氮树脂和不同种类的含金属纳米粒子被依次吸附到硅片表面形成层层自组装膜。通过改变自组装膜的层数可以控制纳米粒子在表面吸附的量，同时利用重氮树脂的光敏特性可以实现纳米粒子在表面的图案化排布。以这些纳米粒子为催化剂，研究了单壁碳纳米管在硅片表面的化学气相沉积生长。     

Synthesis and structural characterization of [Au2Pd14(μ3-CO)7(μ2-CO)2(PMe3)11](PF6)2—An icosahedrally-based high nuclearity mixed metal cluster

[Au₂Pd₁₄(₃-CO)₇(₂-CO)₂(PMe₃)₁₁](PF₆)₂ has been synthesized from [Pd₈(CO)₈(PMe₃)₇] and AuCl(PCy₃) in the presence of TIPF₆. It has been characterised on the basis of mass spectrometry, infrared and NMR spectroscopy, and a single crystal X-ray diffraction study. The structure is based on a palladium-centered Au₂Pd₁₁ icosahedron which shares an edge with a Pd₅ trigonal bipyramid.This paper is dedicated to Larry Dahl on his 65th Birthday—his enthusiasm and achievements in cluster chemistry have inspired us all for more than 30 years.     

Effect of aryl ligands on the chemical hardness of arylmercury cations

¹⁹F NMR spectroscopy was used to study the exchange reactions involving 4-fluorothiophenoxides, 4-nitrophenoxides, chlorides, and acetates of arylmercury and triphenylphosphinegold. The analysis of the data on equilibrium constants allows one to obtain information on the comparative chemical hardness of ArHg⁺ and Ph₃PAu⁺ cations. The increase in the electron-donating ability of aryl ligands enhances the chemical hardness of ArHg⁺ cations, their influence being best described by ⁰ constants of substituted phenyl groups.Translated fromIzvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 5, pp. 1255–1260, May, 1996.     

Simultaneous deposition of Ni nanoparticles and wires on a tubular halloysite template: A novel metallized ceramic microstructure

Tubular halloysite can be used as a template to fabricate a novel metallized ceramic microstructure through electroless plating. Reduction of Pd ions by methanol is conducted to initiate Ni plating. There is a simultaneous deposition of Ni nanoparticles on the outer surface and discontinuous wires in the lumen site of the halloysite template obtained. The different deposition could be caused by the different composition distribution of ferric oxide impurity in the wall due to the isomorphic substitution during the formation of halloysite template. Its magnetic property is mainly attributed to the Ni nanoparticles, not the wires. The metallized ceramic microstructure has the potential to be utilized as a novel magnetic material.     

Novel fluorinated block copolymer architectures fuelled by atom transfer radical polymerization

Block copolymers based on poly(pentafluorostyrene), PFS, in various numbers and of different lengths, and polystyrene are prepared by atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP). Di- and triblock copolymers with varying amounts of PFS were synthesized employing either 1-phenylethylbromide or 1,4-dibromoxylene as initiators for ATRP. Diverse bromo(ester) (macro)initiators were also devised and involved in the formulation of fluorinated pentablock as well as amphiphilic triblock copolymers with a central polyether segment. Amphiphilic star-shaped fluoropolymers, hydrophobic fluorinated nanoparticles, or segmented fluorinated star-shaped block copolymers are further designed by use of different multifunctional initiators. The composition of the novel materials with PFS is determined by combination of SEC and ¹H NMR. Glass transition temperatures and thermal stabilities of the hydrophobic star-shaped PFSs on a six arm dipentaerythritol core are investigated in a wide range of molecular masses and further discussed.     

Catalysis by Using TiO2 Nanoparticles and Nanotubes

TiO2 has attracted considerable attention due to its stability, non-toxicity, low cost, and great potential for use as a photocatalyst in environmental applications. Since strong metal-support interaction (SMSI) of titania-supported noble metals was first reported in 1978, titania supported catalyst has been intensively studied in heterogeneous catalysis. However, the effective catalytic activity was restricted due to the low surface area of TiO2. Recently, TiO2-based nanotubes were extensively investigated because of their potentials in many areas such as highly efficient photocatalysis and hydrogen sensor.In the present study, formation of titanium oxide (TiO2) nanotubes was carried out by hydrothermal method, with TiO2 nanoparticle-powders immersed in concentrated NaOH solution in an autoclave at 110 ℃. Preparation of nano-size Pt on TiO2-nanoparticles or TiO2-nanotubes was performed by photochemical deposition method with UV irradiation on an aqueous solution containing TiO2 and hexachloroplatinic acid or tetrachloroauric acid. The TEM micrographs show that TiO2-nanotubes exhibit ～300 nm in length with an inner diameter of ～ 6 nm and the wall thickness of ～ 2 nm, and homogeneous nanosize Pt particles (～ 2 nm) were well-dispersed on both nanoparticle- and nanotube- titania supports. It also shows the nanotube morphology was retained up2o n Pt-immobilization. Nitrogen adsorption isotherm at 77K resulted a high surface area (～ 200m/g) of TiO2-nanotubes, which is about 40 times greater than that of "mother" TiO2 nanoparticles (～5 m/g). All the spectroscopic results exhibited that the nanotube structure was not significantly affected by the immobilized Pt particles. Ti K-edge XANES spectra of TiO2 nanotube and Pt/TiO2-nanotube represent that most titanium are in a tetrahedral coordination with few retained in the octahedral structure.In the in-situ FT-IR experiments, an IR cell was evacuated to a pressure of 10-5 torr at room temperature as soon as the catalyst-pellet, Pt/TiO2 or Pt/TiO2-nanotube, was placed inside the cell.Then, 60 torr of hydrogen was introduced into the cell and subsequently the temperature was programmed to increase from room temperature to 300℃ at a constant heating rate of 5℃/min.For Pt/TiO2, an IR peak at 2083 em-1 started to appear at 200℃ with a maximum intensity at 250℃ and then decreasing as temperature increased. The 2083 em-1 IR peak corresponds to the linearly adsorption of CO on the well-dispersed Pt sites. Simultaneously, the IR bands of gaseous methane at 3016 em-1 started to appear at 225℃ and the peak intensity increased with temperature. The results reveal that Pt/TiO2 can adsorb gaseous CO2 and further catalyzes the reduction of CO2 by H2 through the intermediate CO, which further produces gaseous methane. While for the Pt/TiO2-nanotube catalyst, methane was produced at relatively low temperature, 100℃, and it catalyzed the direct conversion of CO2 to CH4. The absence of intermediate CO-adsorption signals durinng the temperature programmed process indicates that the prepared TiO2 nanotube-supported nanosize Pt possesses a potent capability for CO2 adsorption and highly catalytic activity in the hydrogenation of CO2, and was superior to the conventional Pt/TiO2 catalyst. The catalytic activity of Pt/TiO2-nanotube was indeed significantly enhanced by the high surface area of TiO2-nanotubes.Details will be discussed.     

金在酸性硫脲溶液中的阳极溶解过程

采用循环伏安法、旋转金盘电极和库仑电解等方法研究了金在酸性硫脲(TU)溶液中的阳极溶解过程。提出了金的阳极溶解机构。认为表面的Au(TU)_(ads)~ 的“化学溶解”步骤是过程的控制步骤。由此解释了旋转金盘电极的极化曲线出现电流峰以及金的溶解速度出现极大的原因。     

Gas Phase Catalysis by Metal Nanoparticles in Nanoporous Alumina Membranes

Nanoporous alumina membranes, loaded with palladium and ruthenium nanoparticles of various size, were used for gas phase hydrogenation of 1, 3‐butadiene and for oxidation of carbon monoxide, respectively. Those membranes contain 10⁹ ‐ 10¹¹ pores per cm², all running perpendicular to the surface. Membrane discs of 20 mm in diameter and only 60 μm thick, incorporated in a reactor in which the reactants can be pumped in a closed circuit through the pores, turned out to very actively catalyze hydrogenation of butadiene (Pd) and oxidation of CO (Ru). The activity of the Pd catalysts depends characteristically on the particles size, the gas flow, and of the educts ratio. As could be expected, larger particles are less active than smaller ones, whereas increasing gas flows in case of hydrogenation accelerates the reactions. Excessive hydrogen reduces selectivity with respect to the various butenes, but favours formation of butane.