Controlling the Regioselectivity of the Hydrosilylation Reaction in Carbon Nanoreactors

Site-Isolated Rhodium(II) Metalloradicals Catalyze Olefin Hydrofunctionalization

Rh(II) porphyrin complexes display pronounced metal-centered radical character and the ability to activate small molecules under mild conditions, but catalysis with Rh(II) porphyrins is extremely rare. In addition to facile dimerization, Rh(II) porphyrins readily engage in kinetically and thermodynamically facile reactions involving two Rh(II) centers to generate stable Rh(III)-X intermediates that obstruct turnover in thermal catalysis. Here we report site isolation of Rh(II) metalloradicals in a MOF host, which not only protects Rh(II) metalloradicals against dimerization, but also allows them to participate in thermal catalysis. Access to PCN-224 or PCN-222 in which the porphyrin linkers are fully metalated by Rh(II) in the absence of any accompanying Rh(0) nanoparticles was achieved via the first direct MOF synthesis with a linker containing a transition-metal alkyl moiety, followed by Rh(III)-C bond photolysis.

Nanoreactor-based catalytic systems for therapeutic applications: Principles, strategies, and challenges

Inspired by natural catalytic compartments, various synthetic compartments that seclude catalytic reactions have been developed to understand complex multistep biosynthetic pathways, bestow therapeutic effects, or extend biosynthetic pathways in living cells. These emerging nanoreactors possessed many advantages over conventional biomedicine, such as good catalytic activity, specificity, and sustainability. In the past decade, a great number of efficient catalytic systems based on diverse nanoreactors (polymer vesicles, liposome, polymer micelles, inorganic-organic hybrid materials, MOFs, etc.) have been designed and employed to initiate in situ catalyzed chemical reactions for therapy. This review aims to present the recent progress in the development of catalytic systems based on nanoreactors for therapeutic applications, with a special emphasis on the principles and design strategies. Besides, the key components of nanoreactor-based catalytic systems, including nanocarriers, triggers or energy inputs, and products, are respectively introduced and discussed in detail. Challenges and prospects in the fabrication of therapeutic catalytic nanoreactors are also discussed as a conclusion to this review. We believe that catalytic nanoreactors will play an increasingly important role in modern biomedicine, with improved therapeutic performance and minimal side effects.

Kinetics Driven by Hollow Nanoreactors: An Opportunity for Controllable Catalysis

As a novel class of catalytic materials, hollow nanoreactors offer new opportunities for improving catalytic performance owing to their higher controllability on molecular kinetic behavior. Nevertheless, to achieve controllable catalysis with specific purposes, the catalytic mechanism occurring inside hollow nanoreactors remains to be further understood. In this context, this Review presents a focused discussion about the basic concept of hollow nanoreactors, the underlying theory for hollow nanoreactor-driven kinetics, and the intrinsic correlation between key structural parameters of hollow nanoreactors and molecular kinetic behaviors. We aim to provide in-depth insights into understanding kinetics occurred within typical hollow nanoreactors. The perspectives proposed in this paper may contribute to the development of the fundamental theoretical framework of hollow nanoreactor-driven catalysis.

Deciphering the Reactive Pathways of Competitive Reactions inside Carbon Nanotubes

Nanoscale control of chemical reactivity, manipulation of reaction pathways, and ultimately driving the outcome of chemical reactions are quickly becoming reality. A variety of tools are concurring to establish such capability. The confinement of guest molecules inside nanoreactors, such as the hollow nanostructures of carbon nanotubes (CNTs), is a straightforward and highly fascinating approach. It mechanically hinders some molecular movements but also decreases the free energy of translation of the system with respect to that of a macroscopic solution. Here, we examined, at the quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics (QM/MM) level, the effect of confinement inside CNTs on nucleophilic substitution (S_N2) and elimination (syn-E2 and anti-E2) using as a model system the reaction between ethyl chloride and chloride. Our results show that the three reaction mechanisms are kinetically and thermodynamically affected by the CNT host. The size of the nanoreactor, i.e., the CNT diameter, represents the key factor to control the energy profiles of the reactions. A careful analysis of the interactions between the CNTs and the reactive system allowed us to identify the driving force of the catalytic process. The electrostatic term controls the reaction kinetics in the S_N2 and syn/anti-E2 reactions. The van der Waals interactions play an important role in the stabilization of the product of the elimination process.

Catalysis of Alloys: Classification, Principles, and Design for a Variety of Materials and Reactions

Alloying has long been used as a promising methodology to improve the catalytic performance of metallic materials. In recent years, the field of alloy catalysis has made remarkable progress with the emergence of a variety of novel alloy materials and their functions. Therefore, a comprehensive disciplinary framework for catalytic chemistry of alloys that provides a cross-sectional understanding of the broad research field is in high demand. In this review, we provide a comprehensive classification of various alloy materials based on metallurgy, thermodynamics, and inorganic chemistry and summarize the roles of alloying in catalysis and its principles with a brief introduction of the historical background of this research field. Furthermore, we explain how each type of alloy can be used as a catalyst material and how to design a functional catalyst for the target reaction by introducing representative case studies. This review includes two approaches, namely, from materials and reactions, to provide a better understanding of the catalytic chemistry of alloys. Our review offers a perspective on this research field and can be used encyclopedically according to the readers' individual interests.

Catalytic confinement effects in nanochannels: from biological synthesis to chemical engineering

Catalytic reactions within nanochannels are of significant importance in disclosing the mechanisms of catalytic confinement effects and developing novel reaction systems for scientific and industrial demands. Interestingly, catalytic confinement effects exist in both biological and artificial nanochannels, which enhance the reaction performance of various chemical reactions. In this minireview, we investigate the recent advances on catalytic confinement effects in terms of the reactants, reaction processes, catalysts, and products in nanochannels. A systematic discussion of catalytic confinement effects associated with biological synthesis in bio-nanochannels and catalytic reactions in artificial nanochannels in chemical engineering is presented. Furthermore, we summarize the properties of reactions both in nature and chemical engineering and provide a brief overlook of this research field.

Defect Etching in Carbon Nanotube Walls for Porous Carbon Nanoreactors: Implications for CO2 Sorption and the Hydrosilylation of Phenylacetylene

A method of pore fabrication in the walls of carbon nanotubes has been developed, leading to porous nanotubes that have been filled with catalysts and utilized in liquid- and gas-phase reactions. Chromium oxide nanoparticles have been utilized as highly effective etchants of carbon nanotube sidewalls. Tuning the thermal profile and loading of this nanoscale oxidant, both of which influence the localized oxidation of the carbon, have allowed the controlled formation of defects and holes with openings of 40-60 nm, penetrating through several layers of the graphitic carbon nanotube sidewall, resulting in templated nanopore propagation. The porous carbon nanotubes have been demonstrated as catalytic nanoreactors, effectively stabilizing catalytic nanoparticles against agglomeration and modulating the reaction environment around active centers. CO₂ sorption on ruthenium nanoparticles (RuNPs) inside nanoreactors led to distinctive surface-bound intermediates (such as carbonate species), compared to RuNPs on amorphous carbon. Introducing pores in nanoreactors modulates the strength of absorption of these intermediates, as they bond more strongly on RuNPs in porous nanoreactors as compared to the nanoreactors without pores. In the liquid-phase hydrosilylation of phenylacetylene, the confinement of Rh₄(CO)₁₂ catalyst centers within the porous nanoreactors changes the distribution of the products relative to those observed in the absence of the additional pores. These changes have been attributed to the enhanced local concentration of phenylacetylene and the environment in which the catalytic centers reside within the porous carbon host.

Rhodium Nanoparticles Stabilized by PEG-Tagged Imidazolium Salts as Recyclable Catalysts for the Hydrosilylation of Internal Alkynes and the Reduction of Nitroarenes

PEGylated imidazolium (bromide and tetrafluoroborate) and tris-imidazolium (bromide) salts containing triazole linkers have been used as stabilizers for the preparation of water-soluble rhodium(0) nanoparticles by reduction of rhodium trichloride with sodium borohydride in water at room temperature. The nanomaterials have been characterized (Transmission Electron Microscopy, Electron Diffraction, X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy, Inductively Coupled Plasma-Optical Emission Spectroscopy). They proved to be efficient and recyclable catalysts for the stereoselective hydrosilylation of internal alkynes, in the presence or absence of solvent, and in the reduction of nitroarenes to anilines with ammonia-borane as hydrogen donor in aqueous medium (1:4 tetrahydrofuran/water).

Cerium Oxide Nanoparticles Inside Carbon Nanoreactors for Selective Allylic Oxidation of Cyclohexene

The confinement of cerium oxide (CeO₂) nanoparticles within hollow carbon nanostructures has been achieved and harnessed to control the oxidation of cyclohexene. Graphitized carbon nanofibers (GNF) have been used as the nanoscale tubular host and filled by sublimation of the Ce(tmhd)₄ complex (where tmhd = tetrakis(2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-3,5-heptanedionato)) into the internal cavity, followed by a subsequent thermal decomposition to yield the hybrid nanostructure CeO₂@GNF, where nanoparticles are preferentially immobilized at the internal graphitic step-edges of the GNF. Control over the size of the CeO₂ nanoparticles has been demonstrated within the range of about 4-9 nm by varying the mass ratio of the Ce(tmhd)₄ precursor to GNF during the synthesis. CeO₂@GNF was effective in promoting the allylic oxidation of cyclohexene in high yield with time-dependent control of product selectivity at a comparatively low loading of CeO₂ of 0.13 mol %. Unlike many of the reports to date where ceria catalyzes such organic transformations, we found the encapsulated CeO₂ to play the key role of radical initiator due to the presence of Ce³⁺ included in the structure, with the nanotube acting as both a host, preserving the high performance of the CeO₂ nanoparticles anchored at the GNF step-edges over multiple uses, and an electron reservoir, maintaining the balance of Ce³⁺ and Ce⁴⁺ centers. Spatial confinement effects ensure excellent stability and recyclability of CeO₂@GNF nanoreactors.

σ-H-H, σ-C-H, and σ-Si-H Bond Activation Catalyzed by Metal Nanoparticles

Activation of H-H, Si-H, and C-H bonds through σ-bond coordination has grown in the past 30 years from a scientific curiosity to an important tool in the functionalization of hydrocarbons. Several mechanisms were discovered via which the initially σ-bonded substrate could be converted: oxidative addition, heterolytic cleavage, σ-bond metathesis, electrophilic attack, etc. The use of metal nanoparticles (NPs) in this area is a more recent development, but obviously nanoparticles offer a much richer basis than classical homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysts for tuning reactivity for such a demanding process as C-H functionalization. Here, we will review the surface chemistry of nanoparticles and catalytic reactions occurring in the liquid phase, catalyzed by either colloidal or supported metal NPs. We consider nanoparticles prepared in solution, which are stabilized and tuned by polymers, ligands, and supports. The question we have addressed concerns the differences and similarities between molecular complexes and metal NPs in their reactivity toward σ-bond activation and functionalization.

Chemical reactions at the graphitic step-edge: changes in product distribution of catalytic reactions as a tool to explore the environment within carbon nanoreactors

A series of explorative cross-coupling reactions have been developed to investigate the local nanoscale environment around catalytically active Pd(ii)complexes encapsulated within hollow graphitised nanofibers (GNF). Two new fullerene-containing and fullerene-free Pd(ii)Salen catalysts have been synthesised, and their activity and selectivity towards different substrates has been explored in nanoreactors. The catalysts not only show a significant increase in activity and stability upon heterogenisation at the graphitic step-edges inside the GNF channel, but also exhibit a change in selectivity affected by the confinement which alters the distribution of isomeric products of the reaction. Furthermore, the observed selectivity changes reveal unprecedented details regarding the location and orientation of the catalyst molecules inside the GNF nanoreactor, inaccessible by any spectroscopic or microscopic techniques, thus shedding light on the precise reaction environment inside the molecular catalyst-GNF nanoreactor.

Chemical reactions confined within carbon nanotubes

The confinement of molecules and catalysts inside carbon nanotubes affects the yield and distribution of products of preparative chemical reactions.

Filling of carbon nanotubes and nanofibres

The reliable production of carbon nanotubes and nanofibres is a relatively new development, and due to their unique structure, there has been much interest in filling their hollow interiors. In this review, we provide an overview of the most common approaches for filling these carbon nanostructures. We highlight that filled carbon nanostructures are an emerging material for biomedical applications.

Evaluating the effects of carbon nanoreactor diameter and internal structure on the pathways of the catalytic hydrosilylation reaction

Three different types of carbon nanoreactors, double-walled nanotubes (DWNT), multi-walled nanotubes (MWNT) and graphitised carbon nanofibers (GNF) have been appraised for the first time as containers for the reactions of phenylacetylene hydrosilylation catalysed by a confined molecular catalyst [Rh₄(CO)₁₂]. Interactions of [Rh₄(CO)₁₂] with carbon nanoreactors determining the ratio of β-addition products are unchanged for all nanoreactors and are virtually unaffected by the confinement of [Rh₄(CO)₁₂] inside carbon nanostructures. Conversely, the relative concentrations of reactants affecting the ratio of addition and dehydrogenative silylation products is very sensitive to nanoscale confinement, with all nanoreactors demonstrating significant effects on the distribution of reaction products as compared to control experiments with the catalyst in bulk solution or adsorbed on the outer surface of nanoreactors. Surprisingly, the widest nanoreactors (GNF) change the reaction pathway most significantly, which is attributed to the graphitic step-edges inside GNF providing effective anchoring points for the catalyst and creating local environments with greatly altered concentrations of reactants as compared to bulk solution. Possessing diameters significantly wider than molecules, GNF impose no restrictions on the transfer of reactants while providing the strongest confinement effects for the reaction. Furthermore, GNF facilitate the effective recyclability of the catalyst and thus represents a superior nanoreactor system to carbon nanotubes.

Catalysed stereodivergent hydrosilylation with Onium Salts stabilised M(0) nanocatalysts prepared in scCO2

M(0) nanocatalysts stabilised in Onium Salt were synthesised using an original preparation and their effectiveness in catalysing the challenging selective sterodivergent alkyne hydrosilylation reaction was studied.

Competitive hydrosilylation in carbon nanoreactors: probing the effect of nanoscale confinement on selectivity

Platinum nanoparticles (PtNP) either imbedded within (PtNP@GNF) or adsorbed on the surface (PtNP/GNF) of hollow graphitised carbon nanofibres catalyse hydrosilylation reactions inside or outside the nanoreactor respectively. Comparison of the products formed using PtNP@GNF and PtNP/GNF reveals that nanoreactors create an environment promoting the formation of aromatic over aliphatic products in the competitive hydrosilylation of phenylacetylene with a mixture of triethylsilane and dimethylphenylsilane reactants. Quantification of the distribution of reaction products indicates a three- to four-fold increase in the concentration of aromatic reactants within GNF depending on the dimensions of the carbon nanoreactor. The altered local concentrations of reactants in PtNP@GNF combined with stabilisation of the reaction intermediates by interactions with the nanoreactor interior cause significant changes in the pathways of chemical transformations. The effects of nanoscale confinement on the reactivity of molecules can be harnessed for preparative synthesis in carbon nanoreactors.

Regioselective control of aromatic halogenation reactions in carbon nanotube nanoreactors

The use of single-walled carbon nanotubes as effective nanoreactors for preparative chemical reactions has been demonstrated for the first time. Extreme spatial confinement of reactant molecules inside nanotubes has been shown to drastically affect both the regioselectivity and kinetics of aromatic halogenation reactions.