Institution: | 1. Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, 201002 India
Inorganic Materials and Catalysis Division, CSIR-Central Salt & Marine Chemicals Research Institute, G.B. Marg, Bhavnagar, 364002 Gujarat, India;2. Department of Chemical Sciences, Tezpur University, Assam, 784028 India;3. Department of Chemistry, Cotton University, Guwahati, 781001 Assam, India;4. Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, 201002 India |
Abstract: | A discrete, photoactive, ultrafine copper nanocluster of fewer than hundreds of atoms with stimuli-responsive switchable redox-active states is highly desired to control two different antagonistic reactions. Herein, a mixed-valent tetrametallic copper complex ( C-1 ) of N?O-N Schiff base ligand is disclosed, in which the five different Cu?Cu interactions were used to generate photoactive nanoscale copper LCu0n, S-1 ] through the reduction of coordinated imine to the amine of C-1 . The presence of a ligand provides stability and helps to homogenize the material ( S-1 ) in the organic solvent. The cluster showed stimuli (O2/light)-responsive switching between its reduced ( S-1 ) and oxidized LCu0n?mCuOm, S-2 ] states that allows it to serve as a highly and poorly active (bistate, relative rate >5–12 fold) catalyst for the dehydrogenation of alcohols to aldehydes and hydrogenation of nitroaromatics to amino aromatics under the light. |