Palladium Clusters Research Articles

Water-promoted oxidative coupling of aromatics with subnanometer palladium clusters confined in zeolites

A fundamental understanding of the active sites in working catalysts can guide the rational design of new catalysts with improved performances. In this work, we have followed the evolution of homogeneous and heterogeneous Pd catalysts under the reaction conditions for aerobic oxidative coupling of toluene for the production of 4,4′-bitolyl. We have found that subnanometer Pd clusters made with a few Pd atoms are the working active sites in both homogeneous and heterogeneous catalytic systems. Moreover, water can promote the activity of Pd clusters by nearly one-order magnitude for oxidative coupling reaction by facilitating the activation of O2. These new insights lead to the preparation of a catalyst made with Pd clusters supported on a two-dimensional zeolite, which expands the scope of the oxidative coupling of aromatics to larger substrates.

Diamidocarbene-derived palladium and nickel-sulfur clusters.

Novel palladium and nickel-sulfur clusters were synthesized using a diamidocarbene-derived carbon disulfide ligand. Structural characterization revealed a tetranuclear metal-sulfur cluster geometry with each metal center exhibiting square-planar coordination. The ligand was redox-active, accommodating oxidation states ranging from 0 to -2.

Dumbbell-shaped polymeric nanoparticles with one-side anchored Pd-clusters for efficient catalytic hydrogenation at biphasic interfaces

Pickering interfacial catalysts incorporated with amphiphilic architecture significantly expand the sustainability of green catalysis systems. In this work, we present precise and well-designed dumbbell-shaped Janus-structured polymeric nanoparticles with one-side anchored palladium clusters (DB-JPP-Pd) as Pickering interfacial catalyst for static hydrogenations. The large wettability difference of each lobe renders the prominent amphiphilicity of the dumbbell-shaped DB-JPP-Pd. The amphiphilic Janus catalyst displays excellent interfacial activity and extensively reduces the interfacial tension from 34.06 ± 0.13 to 20.54 ± 0.31 mN/m, promoting the formation of a more stable Pickering emulsion than that of the bulk PS-Pd catalyst, which can continuously provide a large interfacial area and shorten the molecular mass transfer distance during the reaction process. As a result, the DB-JPP-Pd catalyzed nitroarene reduction reaction exhibits a normalized reaction rate constant (knor) of 3.39 min−1⋅g−1⋅L under static conditions, which is 56.5 times higher than that of bulk PS-Pd. The constructed Pickering interfacial catalysis (PIC) system converts all the nitrobenzene into aniline within three minutes and possesses excellent selectivity in hydrogenations of different nitro aromatics. In addition, the emulsion catalytic system was conveniently recycled for ten consecutive runs. Hence, this unique amphiphilic dumbbell-shaped catalyst effectively develops an efficient static biphasic catalysis system.

Identification and quantification of electron-generated atomic hydrogen through in-situ electron spin resonance and density functional theory

Electro-generated atomic hydrogen (H*) plays a crucial role in the electrochemical reduction process, serving as the key species that mediates the electrocatalytic hydrogenation reduction of stubborn contaminants in wastewater treatment. However, precisely identifying and quantifying transient atomic H* presents a significant challenge due to its limited lifespan and its existence solely within the boundary layer at the electrode/solution interface. Herein, we developed the electrodeposition of palladium nanoparticles onto carbon cloth and assessed its effectiveness as a cathode for generating and stabilizing atomic H*. The environmental application of atomic H* was validated through the dechlorination of 2, 4-dichlorophenol wastewater and the reduction of antimonite wastewater. Additionally, the identification of atomic H* was verified by electrochemical measurements, high-resolution mass spectra, and density functional theory. Moreover, introducing an excess of a spin trapping agent (5,5-dimethyl-1-pyrroline-N-oxide) and fast in-situ spin trapping facilitated creating favorable conditions for efficient trapping of atomic H* and subsequent electron spin resonance (ESR) spectroscopy quantification analysis. Subsequently, the quantification of atomic H* was achieved by double integration of the ESR signal of spin adduct and comparison with the external standard agent (4-hydroxy-2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-1-piperidine 1-oxyl). This study introduces a novel method for in-situ spin trapping and quantification of atomic H*, facilitating the advancement of electrochemical reduction technology and its application in wastewater treatment.

Direct α-Arylation of Benzo[b]furans Catalyzed by a Pd3 Cluster.

As an interim paradigm for the catalysts between those based on more conventional mononuclear molecular Pd complexes and Pdn nanoparticles widely used in organic synthesis, polynuclear palladium clusters have attracted great attention for their unique reactivity and electronic properties. However, the development of Pd cluster catalysts for organic transformations and mechanistic investigations is still largely unexploited. Herein, we disclose the use of trinuclear palladium (Pd3Cl) species as an active catalyst for the direct C-H α-arylation of benzo[b]furans with aryl iodides to afford 2-arylbenzofurans in good yields under mild conditions. With this method, broad substrate adaptability was observed, and several drug intermediates were synthesized in high yields. Mechanistic studies indicated that the Pd3 core most likely remained intact throughout the reaction course.

Cuboctahedral Pd13 as a spherical aromatic noble metal core: insights from a ligand-protected [Pd13(Tr)6]2+ cluster.

Low-valent palladium nanoparticles are efficient species promoting catalytic activity and selectivity in a number of chemical reactions. Recently, an atom-centered cuboctahedral Pd13 motif has been characterized as a ligand-protected [Pd13(Tr)6]2+ cluster featuring a 1s2 superatomic shell structure. In this report, we describe the ligand-cluster of and endohedral-cage interaction in [Pd13(Tr)6]2+, which accounts for a favorable situation in the overall cluster. In addition, the spherical aromatic properties of the cluster were evaluated to understand the behavior of the ligand-protected Pd13 cluster core. Our results indicate a sizable interaction towards carbon-based ligands in an overall spherical aromatic cluster featuring a long-range shielding cone. Thus, [Pd13(Tr)6]2+ is rationalized as the first ligand-protected palladium cluster to date exhibiting spherical aromatic properties, serving as a stable building block for molecule-based materials or as a dopant in porous carbon materials.

Facile synthesis and electronic structure optimization of sub-nanometer palladium clusters for efficient direct synthesis of H2O2

A sub-nanometer Pd/ZDC catalyst for efficient H2O2 direct synthesis has been successfully prepared by regulating the pore size and nitrogen configuration, achieving a remarkable H2O2 selectivity of 81.6% and productivity of 3323 mmol gPd−1 h−1.

Data-driven stabilization of NimPdn-m nanoalloys: a study using density functional theory and data mining approaches.

Green hydrogen, generated through the electrolysis of water, is a viable alternative to fossil fuels, although its adoption is hindered by the high costs associated with the catalysts. Among a wide variety of potential materials, binary nickel-palladium (NiPd) systems have garnered significant attention, particularly at the nanoscale, for their efficacious roles in catalyzing hydrogen and oxygen evolution reactions. However, our atom-level understanding of the descriptors that drive their energetic stability at the nanoscale remains largely incomplete. Here, we investigate by density functional theory calculations the descriptors that drives the stability of the NimPdn-m clusters for different sizes (n = 13, 27, 41) and compositions. To achieve our goals, a large number of trial configurations were generated and selected using data mining algorithms (k-means, t-SNE) and genetic algorithms, while the most important physical-chemical descriptors were identified using Spearman correlation analysis. We have found that core-shell formation, with the smaller Ni atoms lying in the center of the particle, plays a major role in the stabilization of the nanoalloys, and this effect causes the alloys to assume a icosahedral-fragment configuration (as the unary nickel cluster) instead of a fcc fragment (as the unary palladium cluster). However, the core-shell formation in this alloy is unique in that Pd poor compositions exhibit scattered Pd atoms on the surface. As the palladium content increases, this gives rise to the complete Pd shell. This stabilization mechanism is quantitatively supported by the different correlations observed in the number of Ni-Ni and Pd-Pd bonds with energy, in which the latter tends to decrease alloy stability. Furthermore, a notable trend is the correlation between the coordination number of Ni atoms with alloy stabilization, while the coordination of Pd atoms shows an inverse correlation.

Platform for the Immobilizing of Ultrasmall Pd Clusters for Carbonylation: In Situ Self-Templating Fabrication of ZIF-8 on ZnO.

Incorporating metal clusters into the confined cavities of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) to form MOF-supported catalysts has attracted considerable research interest with regard to carbonylation reactions. Herein, a self-templating method is used to prepare the zinc oxide (ZnO)-supported core-shell catalyst ZnO@Pd/ZIF-8. This facile strategy controls the growth of metal sources on the ZIF-8 shell layer and avoids the metal diffusion or aggregation problems of the conventional synthesis method. The characteristics of the catalysts show that the palladium (Pd) clusters are highly dispersed with an average particle size of ≈1.2nm, making them excellent candidates as a catalyst for carbonylation under mild conditions. The optimal catalyst (1.25-ZnO@Pd/ZIF-8) exhibits excellent activity in synthesizing α, β-alkynyl ketones under 1 atm of carbon monooxide (CO), and the conversion rate of 1, 3-diphenylprop-2-yn-1-one is 3.09 and 3.87 times more than those of Pd/ZIF-8 and Pd2+, respectively, for the first 2h. Moreover, the 1.25-ZnO@Pd/ZIF-8 is recyclable, showing negligible metal leaching, and, under the conditions used in this investigation, can be reused at least five times without considerable loss in its catalytic efficiency. This protocol can also be applied with other nucleophile reagents to synthesize esters, amides, and acid products.

Mechanism of the Hydrazine Monohydrate Decomposition by Means of IR Spectroscopy <i>In Situ</i>

Pd-containing catalysts (1%Pd/Al2O3 and 5%Pd/Al2O3) deposited on aluminum oxide were studied in the decomposition reaction of hydrazine monohydrate. According to in situ IR spectroscopy, it was found that hydrazine monohydrate is adsorbed on the coordination unsaturated centers of the catalyst surface in a linear form. When the temperature rises, the adsorbed hydrazine monohydrate loses a water molecule, which is accompanied by a change in the geometry of the molecular complex. Adsorption of hydrazine on a support and its diffusion onto palladium clusters is a more advantageous process than direct adsorption on active centers. This circumstance shows that the hydrazine adsorbed on the support can be an intermediate of its decomposition process. The studied catalysts have a maximum activity in the temperature range of 100–120°C, while the ratio of hydrogen and nitrogen concentrations in the reaction products was equal to 2, which corresponds to 100% selectivity for hydrogen. As the reaction temperature increases, the selectivity decreases significantly. The explanation of the high selectivity for hydrogen at low temperatures is due to the fact that the adsorption of N2H4 is carried out through the formation of hydrogen–metal bonds. The hydrogen–metal bond strength in such a complex is higher than the nitrogen–metal bond strength, hence the barrier for breaking the N–H bond is lower than the barrier for breaking N–N bond, which leads to breaking N–H bond and preserving the N–N bond. At elevated temperatures, some of the hydrogen atoms formed recombine, the other reacts with the surface complexes of hydrazine to form the intermediate NH3–NH3, the breaking of the bond in which leads to the formation of ammonia molecules in the gas phase.

C–H activation of ethane on palladium clusters: a computational study at the dual levels of density functional theory and coupled-cluster theory

C–H activation of ethane on palladium clusters: a computational study at the dual levels of density functional theory and coupled-cluster theory

Modeling of Inert Gas Sensors Using First Principles Methods

The detection of inert gases is difficult due to their inactive nature what makes preparation of the applicable gas sensor a challenging task. This work reports comprehensive first principles investigations to design inert gas sensors. Graphene (Gr) sheets decorated with palladium clusters Pd <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">n</sub> (n = 2-6) were optimized after which adsorption of inert gases He, Ne, Ar, Kr, Xe and Rn was carried out using density functional theory (DFT) based formalism. The reactivity of the sensors comprising of Pd cluster-decorated-defected-graphene is significantly higher than that of the sensor with bare and defect free graphene sheet. The adsorption caused redistribution of the electronic structure which provides basis for sensing of the adsorbate. The gas sensor Pd <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">2</sub> -Gr exhibited good sensitivity towards neon and xenon while Pd <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">3</sub> -Gr appeared more effective in the detection of krypton gas. Helium is appropriately detected by Pd <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">4</sub> -Gr sensor and Pd <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">5</sub> -Gr sensor is found capable of sensing radon and argon gases. Pd <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">6</sub> -Gr sensor is not a favorable sensor for sensing of the inert gases. The findings of this work are beneficial for fabrication of inert gas sensors for small and industrial scale applications.

Mizoroki-Heck Macrocyclization Reactions at 1 M Concentration Catalyzed by Sub-nanometric Palladium Clusters.

The synthesis of cyclized organic compounds with more than ten atoms (macrocycles) is traditionally based on reversible reactions under highly diluted conditions, typically <0.05 M, in order to circumvent the formation of intermolecular products. These reaction conditions severely hamper industrial productivity and the use of solid catalysts. Herein, it is shown that the intramolecular Mizoroki-Heck reaction of ω-iodide cinnamates proceeds at 1 M concentration when catalyzed by few-atom Pd clusters, either in solution or supported on a solid, to give different macrocycles in good yields. This paradigmatic increase in reaction concentration not only opens the door for macrocycle production with high throughputs but also enables the use of solid catalysts for a macrocyclization reaction in flow.

Insulin-incubated palladium clusters alleviate Alzheimer's disease-like phenotypes in a preclinical mouse model.

Insulin-incubated palladium clusters alleviate Alzheimer's disease-like phenotypes in a preclinical mouse model.

Refining reaction kinetics of butadiene hydrogenation on zeolite-confined palladium clusters

Palladium clusters confined within the micropores of ZSM-5 in protonic form (Pd@ZSM-5) are designed for the selective hydrogenation of 1,3-butadiene. Greatly enhanced selectivity to butenes at similar conversions is achieved on Pd@ZSM-5 as compared with the conventionally adsorption-derived nanoparticle counterpart (Pd/ZSM-5). Pd@ZSM-5 exhibits lower intrinsic activity that can be leveraged by increasing H2-to-butadiene ratio in the feed without sacrificing butenes selectivity. The size and electronic effects of the Pd species on their catalytic performance are discussed by coupling in situ diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy and the detailed reaction kinetics of the hydrogenation of butadiene and 1-butene, and the isomerization of 1-butene. It is revealed that the size and location of the Pd species may play a more decisive role in determining the hydrogenation performance rather than the nature of the surface Pd species. Palladium clusters confined in the zeolites channels do not change the π-bonding configuration of butadiene and the adsorption of H2, but significantly weaken the adsorption strength of both butadiene and the primary product - 1-butene, the key factors responsible for the selective hydrogenation.

Dual-site catalysts featuring platinum-group-metal atoms on copper shapes boost hydrocarbon formations in electrocatalytic CO2 reduction

Copper-based catalyst is uniquely positioned to catalyze the hydrocarbon formations through electrochemical CO2 reduction. The catalyst design freedom is limited for alloying copper with H-affinitive elements represented by platinum group metals because the latter would easily drive the hydrogen evolution reaction to override CO2 reduction. We report an adept design of anchoring atomically dispersed platinum group metal species on both polycrystalline and shape-controlled Cu catalysts, which now promote targeted CO2 reduction reaction while frustrating the undesired hydrogen evolution reaction. Notably, alloys with similar metal formulations but comprising small platinum or palladium clusters would fail this objective. With an appreciable amount of CO-Pd1 moieties on copper surfaces, facile CO* hydrogenation to CHO* or CO-CHO* coupling is now viable as one of the main pathways on Cu(111) or Cu(100) to selectively produce CH4 or C2H4 through Pd-Cu dual-site pathways. The work broadens copper alloying choices for CO2 reduction in aqueous phases.

Inside Cover: Ligand Assisted Thermal Atomization of Palladium Clusters: An Inspiring Approach for the Rational Design of Atomically Dispersed Metal Catalysts (Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 16/2023)

The low-temperature conversion of Pd nanoclusters into Pd single atoms with the assistance of Cl ligands is illustrated by Tao Ding, Xiaokang Liu, Manzhou Zhu, Tao Yao et al. in their Research Article (e202218630). The Pd nanoclusters collapse when coordinated by Cl ligands, thus enabling the transformation to take place at low temperatures (400 °C). This study sheds light on the rational design of atomically dispersed metal catalysts.

Innentitelbild: Ligand Assisted Thermal Atomization of Palladium Clusters: An Inspiring Approach for the Rational Design of Atomically Dispersed Metal Catalysts (Angew. Chem. 16/2023)

Innentitelbild: Ligand Assisted Thermal Atomization of Palladium Clusters: An Inspiring Approach for the Rational Design of Atomically Dispersed Metal Catalysts (Angew. Chem. 16/2023)

Ligand Assisted Thermal Atomization of Palladium Clusters: An Inspiring Approach for the Rational Design of Atomically Dispersed Metal Catalysts

AbstractThe transformation from metal nanocluster catalysts to metal single‐atom catalysts is an important procedure in the rational design of atomically dispersed metal catalysts (ADCs). However, the conversion methods often involve high annealing temperature as well as reducing atmosphere. Herein, we reported a continuous and convenient approach to transfer Pd nanocluster into Pd single‐atom in a ligand assisted annealing procedure, by which means we reduced its activating temperature low to 400 °C. Using ex‐situ microscopy and spectroscopy, we comprehensively monitored the structural evolution of Pd species though the whole atomization process. Theoretical calculation revealed that the structural instability caused by remaining Cl ligands was the main reason for this low‐temperature transformation. The present atomization strategy and mechanistic knowledge for the conversion from cluster to atomic dispersion provides guidelines for the rational design of ADCs.

Ligand Assisted Thermal Atomization of Palladium Clusters: An Inspiring Approach for the Rational Design of Atomically Dispersed Metal Catalysts.

The transformation from metal nanocluster catalysts to metal single-atom catalysts is an important procedure in the rational design of atomically dispersed metal catalysts (ADCs). However, the conversion methods often involve high annealing temperature as well as reducing atmosphere. Herein, we reported a continuous and convenient approach to transfer Pd nanocluster into Pd single-atom in a ligand assisted annealing procedure, by which means we reduced its activating temperature low to 400 °C. Using ex-situ microscopy and spectroscopy, we comprehensively monitored the structural evolution of Pd species though the whole atomization process. Theoretical calculation revealed that the structural instability caused by remaining Cl ligands was the main reason for this low-temperature transformation. The present atomization strategy and mechanistic knowledge for the conversion from cluster to atomic dispersion provides guidelines for the rational design of ADCs.