Reaction Chemistry at Discrete Organometallic Fragments on Black Phosphorus

Black phosphorus (bP) is a two-dimensional van der Waals material unique in its potential to serve as a support for single-site catalysts due to its similarity to molecular phosphines, ligands quintessential in homogeneous catalysis. However, there is a scarcity of synthetic methods to install single metal centers on the bP lattice. Here, we demonstrate the functionalization of bP nanosheets with molecular Re and Mo complexes. A suite of characterization techniques, including infrared, X-ray photoelectron and X-ray absorption spectroscopy as well as scanning transmission electron microscopy corroborate that the functionalized nanosheets contain a high density of discrete metal centers directly bound to the bP surface. Moreover, the supported metal centers are chemically accessible and can undergo ligand exchange transformations without detaching from the surface. The steric and electronic properties of bP as a ligand are estimated with respect to molecular phosphines. Sterically, bP resembles tri(tolyl)phosphine when monodentate to a metal center, and bis(diphenylphosphino)propane when bidentate, whereas electronically bP is a σ-donor as strong as a trialkyl phosphine. This work is foundational in elucidating the nature of black phosphorus as a ligand and underscores the viability of using bP as a basis for single-site catalysts.     

Design and Application of Peptide-Mimic Phosphonium Salt Catalysts in Asymmetric Synthesis

Chiral phosphonium salt catalysis, traditionally classified as a type of phase transfer catalysis, has proven to be a powerful strategy for the stereoselective preparation of diverse optically active molecules. However, there still remain numerous forbidding issues of reactivity and selectivity in such well-known organocatalysis system. Accordingly, the development of new and high-performance phosphonium salt catalysts with unique chiral backbones is highly desirable, yet challenging. This Minireview describes the prominent endeavours in the development of a new family of chiral peptide-mimic phosphonium salt catalysts with multiple hydrogen-bonding donors and their applications in a plethora of enantioselective synthesis during the past few years. Hopefully, this minireview will pave a way for further developing much more efficient and privileged chiral ligands/catalysts featuring exclusively catalytic ability in asymmetric synthesis.     

Late-Stage Halogenation of Peptides,Drugs and (Hetero)aromatic Compounds with a Nucleophilic Hydrazide Catalyst

Unlike its other halogen atom siblings, chlorination of a bioactive compound can change its physiological characteristics, improve its pharmacological profile, and function as a point of diversification through cross-coupling reactions. As a result, it has been a crucial strategy for drug discovery and development. However, functional groups such as amines, amides, hydroxy groups, or carboxylic acids trap the Cl⁺, severely limiting the reactivity and making direct chlorination far too difficult to be practical. Herein, we introduce a nucleophilic sulfonohydrazide catalyst for late-stage halogenation of peptides and drugs. This direct, mild and metal-free protocol shows high functional-group tolerance and is compatible with a range of structurally diverse peptides, drugs and aromatic compounds. Furthermore, DFT studies indicate that the reaction most likely proceeds via a cationic transition state. The gram-scale synthesis, high stability and efficiency of the catalyst provide a facile route for late-stage functionalization and intermediates for further derivatization.     

Sonochemical water splitting in the presence of powdered metal oxides

Kinetics of hydrogen formation was explored as a new chemical dosimeter allowing probing the sonochemical activity of argon-saturated water in the presence of micro- and nano-sized metal oxide particles exhibiting catalytic properties (ThO₂, ZrO₂, and TiO₂). It was shown that the conventional sonochemical dosimeter based on H₂O₂ formation is hardly applicable in such systems due to catalytic degradation of H₂O₂ at oxide surface. The study of H₂ generation revealed that at low-frequency ultrasound (20 kHz) the sonochemical water splitting is greatly improved for all studied metal oxides. The highest efficiency is observed for relatively large micrometric particles of ThO₂ which is assigned to ultrasonically-driven particle fragmentation accompanied by mechanochemical water molecule splitting. The nanosized metal oxides do not exhibit particle size reduction under ultrasonic treatment but nevertheless yield higher quantities of H₂. The enhancement of sonochemical water splitting in this case is most probably resulting from better bubble nucleation in heterogeneous systems. At high-frequency ultrasound (362 kHz), the effect of metal oxide particles results in a combination of nucleation and ultrasound attenuation. In contrast to 20 kHz, micrometric particles slowdown the sonolysis of water at 362 kHz due to stronger attenuation of ultrasonic waves while smaller particles show a relatively weak and various directional effects.     

Synthesis of Molybdovanadates Coordinated by Oxalato Ligands. The Crystal Structure of K6[Mo6V2O24(C2O4)2]·6H2O

The oxalato complex of a polyoxomolybdovanadate, K₆[Mo₆V₂O₂₄(C₂O₄)₂]·6H₂O has been obtained by reaction of potassium molybdate, ammonium vanadate and tartaric or ascorbic acid. Such conversion of dicarboxylate into oxalate ions indicates the catalytic role of molybdenum. Complexes of analogous composition also were obtained in the reactions of MoO₃, V₂O₅ and potassium oxalate, or M ₂CO₃ (M = Rb, Cs) and oxalic acid. The centrosymmetrical molybdovanadate anion [Mo₆V₂O₂₄(C₂O₄)₂]^6- consists of six MoO₆ and two VO₆ edge-sharing octahedra to give the n -[Mo₆O₂₆]^4- structure. All complexes were characterized by powder and single crystal X-ray analyses, ESR and IR spectra and TG and DSC measurements.     

Fe(Pd)P合金对PH_3分解的催化作用

合成了一种新型三元铁基合金催化剂Fe(Pd)P, 通过X射线粉末衍射(XRD)、等离子体发射(ICP)和扫描电子显微镜(SEM)等手段对催化剂进行了表征. 将其应用于催化PH_3分解的实验, 初步探讨了催化反应条件. 结果表明: 三元铁基合金催化剂Fe(Pd)P具有很好的热稳定性及很高的催化活性, 使用此催化剂在420 ℃, 磷化氢的实际分解率可高达90%以上.     

Plasmon-Induced Radical-Radical Heterocoupling Boosts Photodriven Oxidative Esterification of Benzyl Alcohol over Nitrogen-Doped Carbon-Encapsulated Cobalt Nanoparticles

Selective oxidation of alcohols under mild conditions remains a long-standing challenge in the bulk and fine chemical industry, which usually requires environmentally unfriendly oxidants and bases that are difficult to separate. Here, a plasmonic catalyst of nitrogen-doped carbon-encapsulated metallic Co nanoparticles (Co@NC) with an excellent catalytic activity towards selective oxidation of alcohols is demonstrated. With light as only energy input, the plasmonic Co@NC catalyst effectively operates via combining action of the localized surface-plasmon resonance (LSPR) and the photothermal effects to achieve a factor of 7.8 times improvement compared with the activity of thermocatalysis. A high turnover frequency (TOF) of 15.6 h⁻¹ is obtained under base-free conditions, which surpasses all the reported catalytic performances of thermocatalytic analogues in the literature. Detailed characterization reveals that the d states of metallic Co gain the absorbed light energy, so the excitation of interband d-to-s transitions generates energetic electrons. LSPR-mediated charge injection to the Co@NC surface activates molecular oxygen and alcohol molecules adsorbed on its surface to generate the corresponding radical species (e.g., ⋅O₂⁻, CH₃O⋅ and R-⋅CH-OH). The formation of multi-type radical species creates a direct and forward pathway of oxidative esterification of benzyl alcohol to speed up the production of esters.     

A Strong-Acid-Resistant [Th6] Cluster-Based Framework for Effectively and Size-Selectively Catalyzing Reductive Amination of Aldehydes with N,N-Dimethylformamide

Utilization of N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF) as an amine source and reductant for synthesizing tertiary amines is a promising way to replace the substrates formaldehyde and dimethylamine, and it is desirable to seek porous acid-resistant catalysts for heterogeneous catalysis of this reaction. Herein, a robust metal–organic framework (MOF) {[Th₆O₄(OH)₄(H₂O)₆(BCP)₃]⋅10 DMF}_n ( 1 ) containing stacked nanocages with a diameter of 1.55 nm was constructed. Compound 1 can maintain its single-crystal structure even kept in air at 400 °C for 3 h, and in DMF or water at 200 °C for 7 days. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations suggested that the high interaction energy between the [Th₆O₄(OH)₄(H₂O)₆]¹²⁺ clusters and ligands was responsible for the excellent stability of 1 . Catalytic investigations revealed that 1 can effectively and size-selectively catalyze the reductive amination of aldehydes with DMF, and it can be reused at least five times without obvious loss in catalytic activity.     

Sulfur Poisoning and Self-Recovery of Single-Site Rh1/Porous Organic Polymer Catalysts for Olefin Hydroformylation

Sulfur poisoning and regeneration are global challenges for metal catalysts even at the ppm level. The sulfur poisoning of single-metal-site catalysts and their regeneration is worthy of further study. Herein, sulfur poisoning and self-recovery are first presented on an industrialized single-Rh-site catalyst (Rh₁/POPs). A decreased turnover frequency of Rh₁/POPs from 4317 h⁻¹ to 318 h⁻¹ was observed in a 1000 ppm H₂S co-feed for ethylene hydroformylation, but it self-recovered to 4527 h⁻¹ after withdrawal of H₂S, whereas the rhodium nanoparticles demonstrated poor activity and self-recovery ability. H₂S reduced the charge density of the single Rh atom and lowered its Gibbs free energy with the formation of inactive (SH)Rh(CO)(PPh₃-frame)₂, which could be regenerated to active HRh(CO)(PPh₃-frame)₂ after withdrawing H₂S. The mechanism and the sulfur-related structure–activity relationship were highlighted. This work provides an understanding of heterogeneous ethylene hydroformylation and sulfur-poisoned regeneration in the science of single-atom catalysts.     

Molecular Recognition Regulates Coordination Structure of Single-Atom Sites

Coordination engineering for single-atom sites has drawn increasing attention, yet its chemical synthesis remains a tough issue, especially for tailorable coordination structures. Herein, a molecular recognition strategy is proposed to fabricate single-atom sites with regulable local coordination structures. Specifically, a heteroatom-containing ligand serves as the guest molecule to induce coordination interaction with the metal-containing host, precisely settling the heteroatoms into the local structure of single-atom sites. As a proof of concept, thiophene is selected as the guest molecule, and sulfur atoms are successfully introduced into the local coordination structure of iron single-atom sites. Ultrahigh oxygen reduction electrocatalytic activity is achieved with a half-wave potential of 0.93 V versus reversible hydrogen electrode. Furthermore, the strategy possesses excellent universality towards diversified types of single-atom sites. This work makes breakthroughs in the fabrication of single-atom sites and affords new opportunities in structural regulation at the atomic level.