Rhodium nanocatalysts stabilized by various bipyridine ligands in nonaqueous ionic liquids: influence of the bipyridine coordination modes in arene catalytic hydrogenation

Rhodium nanoparticles stabilized by 2,2'-, 3,3'-, 4,4'-bipyridine ligands were prepared in various ionic liquids according to a chemical reduction approach. Zerovalent nanospecies in the size range of 2.0-2.5 nm were characterized. The nature of the bipyridine and its influence on the coordination environment of rhodium nanoparticles were investigated in various nonaqueous ionic liquids according to the cation and anion. The hydrogenation of various aromatic compounds by these colloidal suspensions was carried out at 80 degrees C and under 40 bar of H 2. A first structural explanation based on bipyridine coordination modes is proposed to justify the observed different activities.