Hexarhodium Clusters in NaY Zeolite: Characterization by Infrared and Extended X-ray Absorption Fine Structure Spectroscopies

NO reduction with CO over HY zeolite-supported rhodium dicarbonyl complexes: giving insight into the structure sensitivity

Mononuclear zeolite-anchored Rh(CO)₂ complexes do not facilitate NO reduction with CO and groups of rhodium atoms are required to initiate and sustain NO/CO catalytic transformations.

Supported cluster catalysts synthesized to be small, simple, selective, and stable

Molecular metal complexes on supports have drawn wide attention as catalysts offering new properties and opportunities for precise synthesis to make uniform catalytic species that can be understood in depth. Here we highlight advances in research with catalysts that are a step more complex than those incorporating single, isolated metal atoms on supports. These more complex catalysts consist of supported noble metal clusters and supported metal oxide clusters, and our emphasis is placed on some of the simplest and best-defined of these catalysts, made by precise synthesis, usually with organometallic precursors. Characterization of these catalysts by spectroscopic, microscopic, and theoretical methods is leading to rapid progress in fundamental understanding of catalyst structure and function, and to expansion of this class of materials. The simplest supported metal clusters incorporate two metal atoms each-they are pair-site catalysts. These and clusters containing several metal atoms have reactivities determined by the metal nuclearity, the ligands on the metal, and the supports, which themselves are ligands. Metal oxide clusters are also included in the discussion presented here, with Zr6O8 clusters that are nodes in metal-organic frameworks being among those that are understood the best. The surface and catalytic chemistries of these metal oxide clusters are distinct from those of bulk zirconia. A challenge in using any supported cluster catalysts is associated with their possible sintering, and recent research shows how metal nanoparticles can be encapsulated in sheaths with well-defined porous structures-zeolites-that make them highly resistant to sintering.

Infrared spectroscopic study of dimethyl ether carbonylation catalysed by TiO2-supported rhodium carbonyls

The carbonylation of dimethyl ether to give methyl acetate in the presence of a TiO₂-supported Rh catalyst was investigated by in situ infrared spectroscopy. Data indicate intermediate species that are analogous to those observed during methanol carbonylation.

Oxide- and Zeolite-Supported Molecular Metal Complexes and Clusters: Physical Characterization and Determination of Structure, Bonding, and Metal Oxidation State

This article is a review of the physical characterization of well-defined site-isolated molecular metal complexes and metal clusters supported on metal oxides and zeolites. These surface species are of interest primarily as catalysts; as a consequence of their relatively uniform structures, they can be characterized much more precisely than traditional supported catalysts. The properties discussed in this review include metal nuclearity, oxidation state, and ligand environment, as well as metal-support interactions. These properties are determined by complementary techniques, including transmission electron microscopy; X-ray absorption, infrared, Raman, and NMR spectroscopies; and density functional theory. The strengths and limitations of these techniques are assessed in the context of results characterizing samples that have been investigated thoroughly and with multiple techniques. The depth of understanding of well-defined metal complexes and metal clusters on supports is approaching that attainable for molecular analogues in solution. The results provide a foundation for understanding the more complex materials that are typical of industrial catalysts.

The direct determination of partial molar volumes and reaction volumes in ultra-dilute non-reactive and reactive multi-component systems using a combined spectroscopic and modified response surface model approach

Two experimental multi-component organometallic systems were studied, namely, (1) a non-reactive system consisting of [Mo(CO)(6)], [Mn(2)(CO)(10)], and [Re(2)(CO)(10)] in toluene under argon at 298.15 K and 0.1 MPa and (2) a reactive system consisting of [Rh(4)(CO)(12)] + PPh(3)--> [Rh(4)(CO)(11)PPh(3)] + CO in n-hexane under argon at 298.15 K and 0.1 MPa. The mole fractions of all solutes were less than 140 x 10(-6) in system (1) and less than 65 x 10(-6) in system (2). Simultaneous in-situ FTIR spectroscopic measurements and on-line oscillatory U-tube density measurements were performed on the multi-component solutions. A newly developed response surface methodology was applied to the data sets to determine the individual limiting partial molar volumes of all constituents present as well as the reaction volume. The limiting partial molar volumes obtained for system (1) were 176.4 +/- 2.5, 265.1 +/- 2.4, and 276.8 +/- 2.4 cm(3) mol(-1) for [Mo(CO)(6)], [Mn(2)(CO)(10)], and [Re(2)(CO)(10)], respectively and are consistent with independent binary experiments. The limiting partial molar volumes obtained for system (2) were 310.7 +/- 2.7, 219.8 +/- 2.2 and 461.5 +/- 4.5 cm(3) mol(-1) for [Rh(4)(CO)(12)], PPh(3) and [Rh(4)(CO)(11)PPh(3)], respectively. In addition, a reaction volume Delta(r)V equal to -17.0 +/- 5.7 cm(3) mol(-1) was obtained. The present results demonstrate that both partial molar volumes and reaction volumes can be obtained directly from multi-component organometallic solutions. This development provides a new tool for physico-chemical determinations relevant to a variety of solutes and their reactions.

Spectral resolution of fluxional organometallics. The observation and FTIR characterization of all-terminal [Rh4(CO)12]

In situ FTIR spectroscopy at 1 cm(-1) resolution was conducted on n-hexane solutions of the bridged [Rh4(CO)9(mu-CO)3] in the interval T= 268-288 K and P(T)= 0.1-7.0 MPa using either helium or carbon monoxide as dissolved gas. Analysis of the spectral data sets was conducted using band-target entropy minimization (BTEM), in order to recover the pure component spectra. A new spectral pattern was recovered with terminal vibrations at 2075, 2069.8, 2044.6 and 2042 cm(-1). The new spectrum is consistent with an all-terminal [Rh4(CO)12] species with a C(3v) anticubeoctahedron structure where 2 different [Rh(CO)3] moieties exist, although the presence of some Td structure can not be entirely excluded. The equilibrium between all-terminal [Rh4(CO)12] and the bridged [Rh(4)(CO)9(mu-CO)3] was determined in the presence of both helium and CO. The equilibrium constant K(eq)=[Rh4(CO)12]/[Rh4(CO)9(mu-CO)3] at 275 K was ca. 0.011 and the determined equilibrium parameters were Delta(r)G= 12.63 +/- 4.8 kJ mol(-1), Delta(r)H=-21.45 +/- 2.3 kJ mol(-1) and Delta(r)S=-114.3 +/- 8.35 J mol(-1) K(-1). The free energy indicates a very small difference between the bridged and terminal geometry, and the lower entropy is consistent with a higher symmetry. This finding helps to address a long-standing issue concerning the existence of various [M4(CO)12] symmetries. In a more general context, the present study illustrates the considerable utility of quantitative infrared spectroscopy (occurring on a fast vibrational timescale) combined with sophisticated deconvolution techniques in order to resolve systems which have been demonstrated to be fluxional on the NMR timescale.