1
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Zhang SY, Ding XL, Qu SZ. Effect of External Electric Field on Nitrogen Activation on a Trimetal Cluster. Chemphyschem 2024; 25:e202300961. [PMID: 38850107 DOI: 10.1002/cphc.202300961] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2023] [Revised: 05/15/2024] [Accepted: 06/07/2024] [Indexed: 06/09/2024]
Abstract
Efficient nitrogen (N2) fixation and activation under mild conditions are crucial for modern society. External electric fields (Felectric) can significantly affect N2 activation. In this work, the effect of Felectric on N2 activation by Nb3 clusters supported in a sumanene bowl was studied by density functional theory calculations. Four typical systems at different stages of N-N activation were studied, including two intermediates and two transition states. The impact of Felectric on various properties related to N2 activation was investigated, including the N-N bond length, overlap population density of states (OPDOS), total energy of the system, adsorption energy of N2, decomposition of energy changes, and electron transfer. The sumanene not only functions as a support and protective substrate, but also serves as a donor or acceptor under different Felectric conditions. Negative Felectric is beneficial to N-N bond activation because it promotes electron transfer to the N-N region and improves the d-π* orbital hybridization between metals and N2 in the activation process. Positive Felectric improves d-π* orbital hybridization only when the N-N is nearly dissociated. The microscopic mechanism of Felectric's effects provides insight into N2 activation and theoretical guidance for the design of catalytic reaction conditions for nitrogen reduction reactions (NRR).
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Affiliation(s)
- Song-Yang Zhang
- School of Mathematics and Physics, North China Electric Power University, Beinong Road 2, Changping, Beijing, 102206, P. R. China
| | - Xun-Lei Ding
- School of Mathematics and Physics, North China Electric Power University, Beinong Road 2, Changping, Beijing, 102206, P. R. China
- Institute of Clusters and Low Dimensional Nanomaterials, North China Electric Power University, Beinong Road 2, Changping, Beijing, 102206, P. R. China
- Hebei Key Laboratory of Physics and Energy Technology, North China Electric Power University, Baoding, 071000, China
| | - Sheng-Ze Qu
- School of Mathematics and Physics, North China Electric Power University, Beinong Road 2, Changping, Beijing, 102206, P. R. China
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2
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Fries DV, Klein MP, Straßner A, Huber ME, Luczak M, Wiehn C, Niedner-Schatteburg G. Cryo IR spectroscopy and cryo kinetics of dinitrogen activation and cleavage by small tantalum cluster cations. J Chem Phys 2023; 159:164303. [PMID: 37873960 DOI: 10.1063/5.0157217] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2023] [Accepted: 09/18/2023] [Indexed: 10/25/2023] Open
Abstract
We investigate small tantalum clusters Tan+, n = 2-4, for their capability to cleave N2 adsorption spontaneously. We utilize infrared photon dissociation (IR-PD) spectroscopy of isolated and size selected clusters under cryogenic conditions within a buffer gas filled ion trap, and we augment our experiments by quantum chemical simulations (at DFT level). All Tan+ clusters, n = 2-4, seem to cleave N2 efficiently. We confirm and extend a previous study under ambient conditions on Ta2+ cluster [Geng et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U. S. A. 115, 11680-11687 (2018)]. Our cryo studies and the concomitant DFT simulations of the tantalum trimer Ta3+ suggest cleavage of the first and activation of the second and third N2 molecule across surmountable barriers and along much-involved multidimensional reaction paths. We unravel the underlying reaction processes and the intermediates involved. The study of the N2 adsorbate complexes of Ta4+ presented here extends our earlier study and previously published spectra from (4,m), m = 1-5 [Fries et al., Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys. 23(19), 11345-11354 (2021)], up to m = 12. We confirm the priory published double activation and nitride formation, succeeded by single side-on N2 coordination. Significant red shifts of IR-PD bands from these side-on coordinated μ2-κN:κN,N N2 ligands correlate with the degree of tilting towards the second coordinating Ta center. All subsequently attaching N2 adsorbates onto Ta4+ coordinate in an end-on fashion, and we find clear evidence for co-existence of end-on coordination isomers. The study of stepwise N2 adsorption revealed adsorption limits m(max) of [Tan(N2)m]+ which increase with n, and kinetic fits revealed significant N2 desorption rates upon higher N2 loads. The enhanced absolute rate constants of the very first adsorbate steps kabs(n,0) of the small Ta3+ and Ta4+ clusters independently suggest dissociative N2 adsorption and likely N2 cleavage into Ta nitrides.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniela V Fries
- Department of Chemistry and State Research Center OPTIMAS, Rheinland-Pfälzische Technische Universität (RPTU) Kaiserslautern-Landau, 67663 Kaiserslautern, Germany
| | - Matthias P Klein
- Department of Chemistry and State Research Center OPTIMAS, Rheinland-Pfälzische Technische Universität (RPTU) Kaiserslautern-Landau, 67663 Kaiserslautern, Germany
| | - Annika Straßner
- Department of Chemistry and State Research Center OPTIMAS, Rheinland-Pfälzische Technische Universität (RPTU) Kaiserslautern-Landau, 67663 Kaiserslautern, Germany
| | - Maximilian E Huber
- Department of Chemistry and State Research Center OPTIMAS, Rheinland-Pfälzische Technische Universität (RPTU) Kaiserslautern-Landau, 67663 Kaiserslautern, Germany
| | - Maximilian Luczak
- Department of Chemistry and State Research Center OPTIMAS, Rheinland-Pfälzische Technische Universität (RPTU) Kaiserslautern-Landau, 67663 Kaiserslautern, Germany
| | - Christopher Wiehn
- Department of Chemistry and State Research Center OPTIMAS, Rheinland-Pfälzische Technische Universität (RPTU) Kaiserslautern-Landau, 67663 Kaiserslautern, Germany
| | - Gereon Niedner-Schatteburg
- Department of Chemistry and State Research Center OPTIMAS, Rheinland-Pfälzische Technische Universität (RPTU) Kaiserslautern-Landau, 67663 Kaiserslautern, Germany
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3
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Jiang GD, Yang Q, Wei GP, Li ZY, He SG. Superior Reactivity of Molybdenum-Sulfur Cluster Anions Mo 5S 2- and Mo 5S 3- toward Dinitrogen. Inorg Chem 2023; 62:11318-11324. [PMID: 37428555 DOI: 10.1021/acs.inorgchem.3c00644] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/11/2023]
Abstract
Inspired by the fact that Mo is a key element in biological nitrogenase, a series of gas-phase MoxSy- cluster anions are prepared and their reactivity toward N2 is investigated by the combination of mass spectrometry, photoelectron imaging spectroscopy, and density functional theory calculations. The Mo5S2- and Mo5S3- cluster anions show remarkable reactivity compared with the anionic species reported previously. The spectroscopic results in conjunction with theoretical analysis reveal that a facile cleavage of N≡N bonds takes place on Mo5S2- and Mo5S3-. The large dissociative adsorption energy of N2 and the favorable entrance channel for initial N2 approaching are proposed as two decisive factors for the superior reactivity of Mo5S2- and Mo5S3-. Besides, the modulation of S ligands on the reactivity of metal centers with N2 is proposed. The highly reactive metal-sulfur species may be obtained by the coordination of two to three sulfur atoms to bare metal clusters so that an appropriate combination of electronic structures and charge distributions can be achieved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gui-Duo Jiang
- State Key Laboratory for Structural Chemistry of Unstable and Stable Species, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, P.R. China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, P.R. China
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences and CAS Research/Education Center of Excellence in Molecular Sciences, Beijing 100190, P.R. China
| | - Qi Yang
- State Key Laboratory for Structural Chemistry of Unstable and Stable Species, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, P.R. China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, P.R. China
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences and CAS Research/Education Center of Excellence in Molecular Sciences, Beijing 100190, P.R. China
| | - Gong-Ping Wei
- State Key Laboratory for Structural Chemistry of Unstable and Stable Species, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, P.R. China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, P.R. China
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences and CAS Research/Education Center of Excellence in Molecular Sciences, Beijing 100190, P.R. China
| | - Zi-Yu Li
- State Key Laboratory for Structural Chemistry of Unstable and Stable Species, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, P.R. China
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences and CAS Research/Education Center of Excellence in Molecular Sciences, Beijing 100190, P.R. China
| | - Sheng-Gui He
- State Key Laboratory for Structural Chemistry of Unstable and Stable Species, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, P.R. China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, P.R. China
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences and CAS Research/Education Center of Excellence in Molecular Sciences, Beijing 100190, P.R. China
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4
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Cheng X, Li ZY, Jiang GD, Liu XX, Liu QY, He SG. Activation of Dinitrogen Promoted by Adsorption of C 6H 6 on Fe 2VC - Cluster Anions. J Phys Chem Lett 2023:6431-6436. [PMID: 37432842 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.3c01367] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/13/2023]
Abstract
The introduction of organic ligands is one of the effective strategies to improve the stability and reactivity of metal clusters. Herein, the enhanced reactivity of benzene-ligated cluster anions Fe2VC(C6H6)- with respect to naked Fe2VC- is identified. Structural characterization suggests that C6H6 is molecularly bound to the dual metal site in Fe2VC(C6H6)-. Mechanistic details reveal that the cleavage of N≡N is feasible in Fe2VC(C6H6)-/N2 but hindered by an overall positive barrier in the Fe2VC-/N2 system. Further analysis discloses that the ligated C6H6 regulates the compositions and energy levels of the active orbitals of the metal clusters. More importantly, C6H6 serves as an electron reservoir for the reduction of N2 to lower the crucial energy barrier of N≡N splitting. This work demonstrates that the flexibility of C6H6 in terms of withdrawing and donating electrons is crucial to regulating the electronic structures of the metal cluster and enhancing the reactivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Cheng
- State Key Laboratory for Structural Chemistry of Unstable and Stable Species, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, P. R. China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, P. R. China
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, CAS Research/Education Center of Excellence in Molecular Sciences, Beijing 100190, P. R. China
| | - Zi-Yu Li
- State Key Laboratory for Structural Chemistry of Unstable and Stable Species, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, P. R. China
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, CAS Research/Education Center of Excellence in Molecular Sciences, Beijing 100190, P. R. China
| | - Gui-Duo Jiang
- State Key Laboratory for Structural Chemistry of Unstable and Stable Species, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, P. R. China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, P. R. China
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, CAS Research/Education Center of Excellence in Molecular Sciences, Beijing 100190, P. R. China
| | - Xiao-Xiao Liu
- State Key Laboratory for Structural Chemistry of Unstable and Stable Species, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, P. R. China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, P. R. China
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, CAS Research/Education Center of Excellence in Molecular Sciences, Beijing 100190, P. R. China
| | - Qing-Yu Liu
- State Key Laboratory for Structural Chemistry of Unstable and Stable Species, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, P. R. China
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, CAS Research/Education Center of Excellence in Molecular Sciences, Beijing 100190, P. R. China
| | - Sheng-Gui He
- State Key Laboratory for Structural Chemistry of Unstable and Stable Species, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, P. R. China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, P. R. China
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, CAS Research/Education Center of Excellence in Molecular Sciences, Beijing 100190, P. R. China
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5
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Wang Y, Aikens CM. Effects of Field Strength and Silver Nanowire Size on Plasmon-Enhanced N 2 Dissociation. J Phys Chem A 2023. [PMID: 37379020 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpca.3c00120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/29/2023]
Abstract
Dissociation of the nitrogen molecule via plasmon-enhanced catalysis using noble metal nanoparticles has been investigated both experimentally and computationally in recent years. However, the mechanism of plasmon-enhanced nitrogen dissociation is still not very clear. In this work, we apply theoretical approaches to examine the dissociation of a nitrogen molecule on atomically thin Agn nanowires (n = 6, 8, 10, 12) and a Ag19+ nanorod. Ehrenfest dynamics provides information about the motion of nuclei during the dynamics process and real-time TDDFT calculations show the electronic transitions and population of electrons over the first 10 s of fs time scale. The activation and dissociation of nitrogen are typically enhanced when the electric field strength increases. However, the enhancement is not always monotonic with field strength. As the length of the Ag wire increases, nitrogen is typically easier to dissociate and thus requires lower field strengths, even though the plasmon frequency is lower. The Ag19+ nanorod leads to faster dissociation of N2 than the atomically thin nanowires. Overall, our detailed study yields insights into the mechanisms involved in plasmon-enhanced N2 dissociation, as well as provides information about factors that can be used to improve adsorbate activation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuchen Wang
- Department of Chemistry, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas 66506, United States
| | - Christine M Aikens
- Department of Chemistry, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas 66506, United States
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6
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Ghoshal S, Ghosh A, Roy P, Ball B, Pramanik A, Sarkar P. Recent Progress in Computational Design of Single-Atom/Cluster Catalysts for Electrochemical and Solar-Driven N 2 Fixation. ACS Catal 2022. [DOI: 10.1021/acscatal.2c04527] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Sourav Ghoshal
- Department of Chemistry, Visva-Bharati University, Santiniketan731 235, India
| | - Atish Ghosh
- Department of Chemistry, Visva-Bharati University, Santiniketan731 235, India
| | - Prodyut Roy
- Department of Chemistry, Visva-Bharati University, Santiniketan731 235, India
| | - Biswajit Ball
- Department of Chemistry, Visva-Bharati University, Santiniketan731 235, India
| | - Anup Pramanik
- Department of Chemistry, Sidho-Kanho-Birsha University, Purulia723 104, India
| | - Pranab Sarkar
- Department of Chemistry, Visva-Bharati University, Santiniketan731 235, India
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7
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Wang YY, Ding XL, Chen Y, Wang MM, Li W, Wang X. Trimetallic clusters in the sumanene bowl for dinitrogen activation. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2022; 24:23265-23278. [PMID: 36156001 DOI: 10.1039/d2cp03346a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
It is of great importance to find catalysts for the nitrogen reduction reaction (NRR) with high stability and reactivity. A series of M3 clusters (M = Ti, Zr, V, and Nb) supported on sumanene (C21H12) were designed as potential catalysts for the NRR by taking advantage of the high reactivity of trimetallic clusters and the unique geometric and electronic properties of sumanene, a bowl-like organic molecule. Detailed mechanisms of NN bond cleavage on C21H12-M3 were investigated by DFT calculations and compared with those on bare M3 clusters. M3 in the sumanene bowl is very stable with large binding energies, which prohibits the cohesion of M3 into M6. In the bowl, M3 has a (quasi-) equilateral triangle structure with lengthened M-M bonds, which is particularly beneficial to the N2 transfer process on Ti3 and V3 clusters. The N-N bond can be dissociated by both M3 and C21H12-M3 clusters without the overall energy barriers. A blurring effect is found in which some geometric and electronic properties of different metal types become similar when M3 is supported on the substrate. Our work demonstrates that sumanene is a suitable substrate to support M3 in the activation of N2 with enhanced stability and maintained a high level of reactivity compared to bare M3.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ya-Ya Wang
- School of Mathematics and Physics, North China Electric Power University, Beinong Road 2, Changping, Beijing, 102206, P. R. China. .,Institute of Clusters and Low Dimensional Nanomaterials, North China Electric Power University, Beinong Road 2, Changping, Beijing, 102206, P. R. China.,School of New Energy, North China Electric Power University, Beinong Road 2, Changping, Beijing, 102206, P. R. China
| | - Xun-Lei Ding
- School of Mathematics and Physics, North China Electric Power University, Beinong Road 2, Changping, Beijing, 102206, P. R. China. .,Institute of Clusters and Low Dimensional Nanomaterials, North China Electric Power University, Beinong Road 2, Changping, Beijing, 102206, P. R. China.,Hebei Key Laboratory of Physics and Energy Technology, North China Electric Power University, Baoding, 071000, China
| | - Yan Chen
- School of Mathematics and Physics, North China Electric Power University, Beinong Road 2, Changping, Beijing, 102206, P. R. China. .,Institute of Clusters and Low Dimensional Nanomaterials, North China Electric Power University, Beinong Road 2, Changping, Beijing, 102206, P. R. China.,School of New Energy, North China Electric Power University, Beinong Road 2, Changping, Beijing, 102206, P. R. China
| | - Meng-Meng Wang
- School of Mathematics and Physics, North China Electric Power University, Beinong Road 2, Changping, Beijing, 102206, P. R. China. .,Institute of Clusters and Low Dimensional Nanomaterials, North China Electric Power University, Beinong Road 2, Changping, Beijing, 102206, P. R. China.,School of New Energy, North China Electric Power University, Beinong Road 2, Changping, Beijing, 102206, P. R. China
| | - Wei Li
- School of Mathematics and Physics, North China Electric Power University, Beinong Road 2, Changping, Beijing, 102206, P. R. China. .,Institute of Clusters and Low Dimensional Nanomaterials, North China Electric Power University, Beinong Road 2, Changping, Beijing, 102206, P. R. China.,Hebei Key Laboratory of Physics and Energy Technology, North China Electric Power University, Baoding, 071000, China
| | - Xin Wang
- School of Mathematics and Physics, North China Electric Power University, Beinong Road 2, Changping, Beijing, 102206, P. R. China. .,Institute of Clusters and Low Dimensional Nanomaterials, North China Electric Power University, Beinong Road 2, Changping, Beijing, 102206, P. R. China.,Hebei Key Laboratory of Physics and Energy Technology, North China Electric Power University, Baoding, 071000, China
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8
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Mou LH, Li ZY, He SG. Recent Progress in Dinitrogen Activation by Gas-Phase Metal Species. J Phys Chem Lett 2022; 13:4159-4169. [PMID: 35507918 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.2c00850] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Understanding the mechanisms to activate and functionalize dinitrogen (N2) is of great importance for the rational design of nitrogen-fixation catalysts. Reactions of gas-phase species with N2 are being actively studied to understand the bond activation and formation processes at a strictly molecular level. This Perspective provides an overview of the recent progress in combined experimental and theoretical studies on the activation and functionalization of N2 by gas-phase metal species. New mechanistic insights into N2 molecular adsorption, N≡N cleavage, and N-X (X = C, B, and H) formation have been introduced, in which the new reaction channels of ejecting neutral metal fragments and the coupling reactions of N2 with other molecules are highlighted. Finally, the current challenges and outlooks of N2 activation in the gas phase are discussed as well.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li-Hui Mou
- State Key Laboratory for Structural Chemistry of Unstable and Stable Species, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, P.R. China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, P.R. China
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences and CAS Research/Education Center of Excellence in Molecular Sciences, Beijing 100190, P.R. China
| | - Zi-Yu Li
- State Key Laboratory for Structural Chemistry of Unstable and Stable Species, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, P.R. China
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences and CAS Research/Education Center of Excellence in Molecular Sciences, Beijing 100190, P.R. China
| | - Sheng-Gui He
- State Key Laboratory for Structural Chemistry of Unstable and Stable Species, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, P.R. China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, P.R. China
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences and CAS Research/Education Center of Excellence in Molecular Sciences, Beijing 100190, P.R. China
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9
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Gurti JI, Ding X, Wang YY, Chen Y, Li W, Wang X. Comparison of Nitrogen Activation on Trinuclear Niobium and Tungsten Sulfide Clusters Nb3Sn and W3Sn (n = 0-3): A DFT Study. Chemphyschem 2022; 23:e202200124. [PMID: 35478374 DOI: 10.1002/cphc.202200124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2022] [Revised: 04/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
The reaction of N 2 with trinuclear niobium and tungsten sulfide clusters Nb 3 S n and W 3 S n ( n = 0-3) was systematically studied by density functional theory calculations . Dissociations of N-N bonds on these clusters are all thermodynamically allowed but with different reactivity in kinetics. The reactivity of Nb 3 S n is generally higher than that of W 3 S n . In the favorite reaction pathways, the adsorbed N 2 changes the adsorption sites from one metal atom to the bridge site of two metal atoms, then on the hollow site of three metal atoms, and at that place, the N-N bond dissociates. As the number of ligand S atoms increases, the reactivity of Nb 3 S n decreases because of the hindering effect of S atoms, while W 3 S and W 3 S 2 have the highest reactivity among four W 3 S n clusters. The Mayer bond order, bond length, vibrational frequency, and electronic charges of the adsorbed N 2 are analyzed along the reaction pathways to show the activation process of the N-N bond in reactions. The charge transfer from the clusters to the N 2 antibonding orbitals plays an essential role in N-N bond activation, which is more significant in Nb 3 S n than in W 3 S n , leading to the higher reactivity of Nb 3 S n . The reaction mechanisms found in this work may provide important theoretical guidance for the further rational design of related catalytic systems for nitrogen reduction reactions (NRR).
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph Israel Gurti
- North China Electric Power University - Beijing Campus: North China Electric Power University, School of Mathematics and Physics, TANZANIA, UNITED REPUBLIC OF
| | - Xunlei Ding
- North China Electric Power University, School of Mathematics and Physics, Beinong Road 2, Huilongguan, Beijing, 102206, Beijing, CHINA
| | - Ya-Ya Wang
- North China Electric Power University - Beijing Campus: North China Electric Power University, School of New Energy, CHINA
| | - Yan Chen
- North China Electric Power University - Beijing Campus: North China Electric Power University, School of New Energy, CHINA
| | - Wei Li
- North China Electric Power University - Beijing Campus: North China Electric Power University, School of Mathematics and Physics, CHINA
| | - Xin Wang
- North China Electric Power University - Beijing Campus: North China Electric Power University, School of Mathematics and Physics, CHINA
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10
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Huang XQ, Ding XL, Wang J, Wang YY, Gurti JI, Chen Y, Wang MM, Li W, Wang X. Exploring trimetallic clusters containing alkali and alkaline earth metal atoms with high activity for nitrogen activation. Struct Chem 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s11224-022-01919-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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11
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Li ZY, Mou LH, Jiang GD, Liu QY, He SG. 15 N/ 14N isotopic exchange in the dissociative adsorption of N 2 on tantalum nitride cluster anions Ta 3N 3−. CHINESE J CHEM PHYS 2022. [DOI: 10.1063/1674-0068/cjcp2112286] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Adsorption and activation of dinitrogen (N2) is an indispensable process in nitrogen fixation. Metal nitride species continue to attract attention as a promising catalyst for ammonia synthesis. However, the detailed mechanisms at a molecular level between reactive nitride species and N2 remain unclear at elevated temperature, which is important to understand the temperature effect and narrow the gap between the gas phase system and condensed phase system. Herein, the 14N/15N isotopic exchange in the reaction between tantalum nitride cluster anions Ta314N3− and 15N2 leading to the regeneration of 14N2/14N15N was observed at elevated temperature (393−593 K) using mass spectrometry. With the aid of theoretical calculations, the exchange mechanism and the effect of temperature to promote the dissociation of N2 on Ta3N3− were elucidated. A comparison experiment for Ta314N4−/15N2 couple indicated that only desorption of 15N2 from Ta314N415N2− took place at elevated temperature. The different exchange behavior can be well understood by the fact that nitrogen vacancy is a requisite for the dinitrogen activation over metal nitride species. This study may shed light on understanding the role of nitrogen vacancy in nitride species for ammonia synthesis and provide clues in designing effective catalysts for nitrogen fixation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zi-Yu Li
- State Key Laboratory for Structural Chemistry of Unstable and Stable Species, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences and CAS Research/Education Center of Excellence in Molecular Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
| | - Li-Hui Mou
- State Key Laboratory for Structural Chemistry of Unstable and Stable Species, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences and CAS Research/Education Center of Excellence in Molecular Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
| | - Gui-Duo Jiang
- State Key Laboratory for Structural Chemistry of Unstable and Stable Species, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences and CAS Research/Education Center of Excellence in Molecular Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
| | - Qing-Yu Liu
- State Key Laboratory for Structural Chemistry of Unstable and Stable Species, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences and CAS Research/Education Center of Excellence in Molecular Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
| | - Sheng-Gui He
- State Key Laboratory for Structural Chemistry of Unstable and Stable Species, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences and CAS Research/Education Center of Excellence in Molecular Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
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12
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Han L, Jiang GD, Li XN, He SG. Global optimization of Tan clusters by deep neural network. Chem Phys Lett 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cplett.2021.139118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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13
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Wang YY, Ding XL, Gurti JI, Chen Y, Huang XQ, Li W, Wang X. Facile N≡N Bond Cleavage by Anionic Trimetallic Clusters V 3-x Ta x C 4 - (x=0-3): A DFT Study. Chemphyschem 2021; 23:e202100771. [PMID: 34821022 DOI: 10.1002/cphc.202100771] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2021] [Revised: 11/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Activation of N2 on anionic trimetallic V3-x Tax C4 - (x=0-3) clusters was theoretically studied employing density functional theory. For all studied clusters, initial adsorption of N2 (end-on) on one of the metal atoms (denoted as Site 1) is transferred to an of end-on: side-on: side-on coordination on three metal atoms, prior to N2 dissociation. The whole reaction is exothermic and has no global energy barriers, indicating that the dissociation of N2 is facile under mild conditions. The reaction process can be divided into two processes: N2 transfer (TRF) and N-N dissociation (DIS). For V-series clusters, which has a V atom on Site 1, the rate-determining step is DIS, while for Ta-series clusters with a Ta on Site 1, TRF may be the rate-determining step or has energy barriers similar to those of DIS. The overall energy barriers for heteronuclear V2 TaC4 - and VTa2 C4 - clusters are lower than those for homonuclear V3 C4 - and Ta3 C4 - , showing that the doping effect is beneficial for the activation and dissociation of N2 . In particular, V-Ta2 C4 - has low energy barriers in both TRF and DIS, and it has the highest N2 adsorption energy and a high reaction heat release. Therefore, a trimetallic heteronuclear V-series cluster, V-Ta2 C4 - , is suggested to have high reactivity to N2 activation, and may serve as a prototype for designing related catalysts at a molecular level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ya-Ya Wang
- School of Mathematics and Physics, North China Electric Power University, Beinong Road 2, Huilongguan, Beijing, 102206, P. R. China.,Institute of Clusters and Low Dimensional Nanomaterials, North China Electric Power University, Beinong Road 2, Huilongguan, Beijing, 102206, P. R. China.,School of New Energy, North China Electric Power University, Beinong Road 2, Huilongguan, Beijing, 102206, P. R. China
| | - Xun-Lei Ding
- School of Mathematics and Physics, North China Electric Power University, Beinong Road 2, Huilongguan, Beijing, 102206, P. R. China.,Institute of Clusters and Low Dimensional Nanomaterials, North China Electric Power University, Beinong Road 2, Huilongguan, Beijing, 102206, P. R. China
| | - Joseph Israel Gurti
- School of Mathematics and Physics, North China Electric Power University, Beinong Road 2, Huilongguan, Beijing, 102206, P. R. China.,Institute of Clusters and Low Dimensional Nanomaterials, North China Electric Power University, Beinong Road 2, Huilongguan, Beijing, 102206, P. R. China
| | - Yan Chen
- School of Mathematics and Physics, North China Electric Power University, Beinong Road 2, Huilongguan, Beijing, 102206, P. R. China.,Institute of Clusters and Low Dimensional Nanomaterials, North China Electric Power University, Beinong Road 2, Huilongguan, Beijing, 102206, P. R. China.,School of New Energy, North China Electric Power University, Beinong Road 2, Huilongguan, Beijing, 102206, P. R. China
| | - Xue-Qian Huang
- School of Mathematics and Physics, North China Electric Power University, Beinong Road 2, Huilongguan, Beijing, 102206, P. R. China.,Institute of Clusters and Low Dimensional Nanomaterials, North China Electric Power University, Beinong Road 2, Huilongguan, Beijing, 102206, P. R. China
| | - Wei Li
- School of Mathematics and Physics, North China Electric Power University, Beinong Road 2, Huilongguan, Beijing, 102206, P. R. China.,Institute of Clusters and Low Dimensional Nanomaterials, North China Electric Power University, Beinong Road 2, Huilongguan, Beijing, 102206, P. R. China
| | - Xin Wang
- School of Mathematics and Physics, North China Electric Power University, Beinong Road 2, Huilongguan, Beijing, 102206, P. R. China.,Institute of Clusters and Low Dimensional Nanomaterials, North China Electric Power University, Beinong Road 2, Huilongguan, Beijing, 102206, P. R. China
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14
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Niedner‐Schatteburg G, Kappes MM. Advancing Inorganic Coordination Chemistry by Spectroscopy of Isolated Molecules: Methods and Applications. Chemistry 2021; 27:15027-15042. [PMID: 34636096 PMCID: PMC8596414 DOI: 10.1002/chem.202102815] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
A unique feature of the work carried out in the Collaborative Research Center 3MET continues to be its emphasis on innovative, advanced experimental methods which hyphenate mass-selection with further analytical tools such as laser spectroscopy for the study of isolated molecular ions. This allows to probe the intrinsic properties of the species of interest free of perturbing solvent or matrix effects. This review explains these methods and uses examples from past and ongoing 3MET studies of specific classes of multicenter metal complexes to illustrate how coordination chemistry can be advanced by applying them. As a corollary, we will show how the challenges involved in providing well-defined, for example monoisomeric, samples of the molecular ions have helped to further improve the methods themselves thus also making them applicable to many other areas of chemistry.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Manfred M. Kappes
- Institute of Physical Chemistry and Institute of NanotechnologyKarlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT)76128KarlsruheGermany
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15
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Jiang GD, Li ZY, Mou LH, He SG. Dual Iron Sites in Activation of N 2 by Iron-Sulfur Cluster Anions Fe 5S 2- and Fe 5S 3. J Phys Chem Lett 2021; 12:9269-9274. [PMID: 34533969 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.1c02683] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Inspired by the fact that the active centers of natural nitrogenases are polynuclear iron-sulfur clusters, the reactivity of isolated iron-sulfur clusters toward N2 has received considerable attention to gain fundamental insights into the activation of the N≡N triple bond. Herein, a series of gas-phase iron-sulfur cluster anions FexSy- (x = 1-8, y = 0-x) were prepared and their reactivities toward N2 were investigated systematically by mass spectrometry. Among the 44 investigated clusters, only Fe5S2- and Fe5S3- showed superior reactivity toward N2. Theoretical results revealed that N2 binds molecularly to the iron sites of Fe5S2,3- in a common end-on coordination mode with an unprecedented back-donation interaction from the localized d-d bonding orbitals of Fe-Fe sites to the π* antibonding orbitals of N2. This is the first example to disclose the significant contribution of the dual metal sites rather than the single metal atom to N2 adsorption in the prevalent end-on binding mode.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gui-Duo Jiang
- State Key Laboratory for Structural Chemistry of Unstable and Stable Species, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, P. R. China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, P. R. China
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences and CAS Research/Education Center of Excellence in Molecular Sciences, Beijing 100190, P. R. China
| | - Zi-Yu Li
- State Key Laboratory for Structural Chemistry of Unstable and Stable Species, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, P. R. China
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences and CAS Research/Education Center of Excellence in Molecular Sciences, Beijing 100190, P. R. China
| | - Li-Hui Mou
- State Key Laboratory for Structural Chemistry of Unstable and Stable Species, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, P. R. China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, P. R. China
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences and CAS Research/Education Center of Excellence in Molecular Sciences, Beijing 100190, P. R. China
| | - Sheng-Gui He
- State Key Laboratory for Structural Chemistry of Unstable and Stable Species, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, P. R. China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, P. R. China
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences and CAS Research/Education Center of Excellence in Molecular Sciences, Beijing 100190, P. R. China
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16
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Wang YY, Ding XL, Israel Gurti J, Chen Y, Li W, Wang X, Wang WJ, Deng JJ. Non-Dissociative Activation of Chemisorbed Dinitrogen on One or Two Vanadium Atoms Supported by a Mo 6 S 8 Cluster. Chemphyschem 2021; 22:1645-1654. [PMID: 34050588 DOI: 10.1002/cphc.202100195] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2021] [Revised: 05/24/2021] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Adsorption of N2 on Mo6 S8 q _Vx clusters (x=0, 1, 2; q=0, ±1) were systematically studied by density functional theory calculations with dispersion corrections. It was found that the N2 can be chemisorbed and undergo non-dissociative activation on single or double metal atoms. The adsorption and activation are influenced by metal types (V or Mo), N2 coordination modes and charge states of the clusters. Particularly, anionic Mo6 S8 - _V2 clusters have remarkable ability to fix and activate N2 . In Mo6 S8 - _V2 , two V atoms prefer to adsorb on two adjacent S-Mo-S hollow sites, leading to the formation of a supported V…V unit. The N2 is bridged side-on coordinated with these two V atoms with high adsorption energy and significant charge transfer. The bond order, bond length and vibration frequency of the adsorbed N2 are close to those of a N-N single bond.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ya-Ya Wang
- School of Mathematics and Physics, North China Electric Power University, Beinong Road 2, Huilongguan, Beijing, 102206, P. R. China.,Institute of Clusters and Low Dimensional Nanomaterials, North China Electric Power University, Beinong Road 2, Huilongguan, Beijing, 102206, P. R. China.,School of New Energy, North China Electric Power University, Beinong Road 2, Huilongguan, Beijing, 102206, P. R. China
| | - Xun-Lei Ding
- School of Mathematics and Physics, North China Electric Power University, Beinong Road 2, Huilongguan, Beijing, 102206, P. R. China.,Institute of Clusters and Low Dimensional Nanomaterials, North China Electric Power University, Beinong Road 2, Huilongguan, Beijing, 102206, P. R. China
| | - Joseph Israel Gurti
- School of Mathematics and Physics, North China Electric Power University, Beinong Road 2, Huilongguan, Beijing, 102206, P. R. China.,Institute of Clusters and Low Dimensional Nanomaterials, North China Electric Power University, Beinong Road 2, Huilongguan, Beijing, 102206, P. R. China
| | - Yan Chen
- School of Mathematics and Physics, North China Electric Power University, Beinong Road 2, Huilongguan, Beijing, 102206, P. R. China.,Institute of Clusters and Low Dimensional Nanomaterials, North China Electric Power University, Beinong Road 2, Huilongguan, Beijing, 102206, P. R. China.,School of New Energy, North China Electric Power University, Beinong Road 2, Huilongguan, Beijing, 102206, P. R. China
| | - Wei Li
- School of Mathematics and Physics, North China Electric Power University, Beinong Road 2, Huilongguan, Beijing, 102206, P. R. China.,Institute of Clusters and Low Dimensional Nanomaterials, North China Electric Power University, Beinong Road 2, Huilongguan, Beijing, 102206, P. R. China
| | - Xin Wang
- School of Mathematics and Physics, North China Electric Power University, Beinong Road 2, Huilongguan, Beijing, 102206, P. R. China.,Institute of Clusters and Low Dimensional Nanomaterials, North China Electric Power University, Beinong Road 2, Huilongguan, Beijing, 102206, P. R. China
| | - Wen-Jie Wang
- School of Mathematics and Physics, North China Electric Power University, Beinong Road 2, Huilongguan, Beijing, 102206, P. R. China.,Institute of Clusters and Low Dimensional Nanomaterials, North China Electric Power University, Beinong Road 2, Huilongguan, Beijing, 102206, P. R. China
| | - Jia-Jun Deng
- School of Mathematics and Physics, North China Electric Power University, Beinong Road 2, Huilongguan, Beijing, 102206, P. R. China.,Institute of Clusters and Low Dimensional Nanomaterials, North China Electric Power University, Beinong Road 2, Huilongguan, Beijing, 102206, P. R. China
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17
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Zhao YX, Zhao XG, Yang Y, Ruan M, He SG. Rhodium chemistry: A gas phase cluster study. J Chem Phys 2021; 154:180901. [PMID: 34241019 DOI: 10.1063/5.0046529] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Due to the extraordinary catalytic activity in redox reactions, the noble metal, rhodium, has substantial industrial and laboratory applications in the production of value-added chemicals, synthesis of biomedicine, removal of automotive exhaust gas, and so on. The main drawback of rhodium catalysts is its high-cost, so it is of great importance to maximize the atomic efficiency of the precious metal by recognizing the structure-activity relationship of catalytically active sites and clarifying the root cause of the exceptional performance. This Perspective concerns the significant progress on the fundamental understanding of rhodium chemistry at a strictly molecular level by the joint experimental and computational study of the reactivity of isolated Rh-based gas phase clusters that can serve as ideal models for the active sites of condensed-phase catalysts. The substrates cover the important organic and inorganic molecules including CH4, CO, NO, N2, and H2. The electronic origin for the reactivity evolution of bare Rhx q clusters as a function of size is revealed. The doping effect and support effect as well as the synergistic effect among heteroatoms on the reactivity and product selectivity of Rh-containing species are discussed. The ingenious employment of diverse experimental techniques to assist the Rh1- and Rh2-doped clusters in catalyzing the challenging endothermic reactions is also emphasized. It turns out that the chemical behavior of Rh identified from the gas phase cluster study parallels the performance of condensed-phase rhodium catalysts. The mechanistic aspects derived from Rh-based cluster systems may provide new clues for the design of better performing rhodium catalysts including the single Rh atom catalysts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan-Xia Zhao
- State Key Laboratory for Structural Chemistry of Unstable and Stable Species, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, People's Republic of China
| | - Xi-Guan Zhao
- State Key Laboratory for Structural Chemistry of Unstable and Stable Species, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, People's Republic of China
| | - Yuan Yang
- State Key Laboratory for Structural Chemistry of Unstable and Stable Species, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, People's Republic of China
| | - Man Ruan
- State Key Laboratory for Structural Chemistry of Unstable and Stable Species, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, People's Republic of China
| | - Sheng-Gui He
- State Key Laboratory for Structural Chemistry of Unstable and Stable Species, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, People's Republic of China
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