In situ formation of mononuclear complexes by reaction-induced atomic dispersion of supported noble metal nanoparticles.
basic_science · Level V
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 31754128.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1038/s41467-019-12965-1 and PMC identifier 6872874.
- Licence recorded as CC BY.
- The licence permits redistribution, so the abstract is shown in full and the full text is available from the publisher.
Abstract
Supported noble metal nanoclusters and single-metal-site catalysts are inclined to aggregate into particles, driven by the high surface-to-volume ratio. Herein, we report a general method to atomically disperse noble metal nanoparticles. The activated carbon supported nanoparticles of Ru, Rh, Pd, Ag, Ir and Pt metals with loading up to 5 wt. % are completely dispersed by reacting with CH<sub>3</sub>I and CO mixture. The dispersive process of the Rh nanoparticle is investigated in depth as an example. The in-situ detected I• radicals and CO molecules are identified to promote the breakage of Rh-Rh bonds and the formation of mononuclear complexes. The isolated Rh mononuclear complexes are immobilized by the oxygen-containing functional groups based on the effective atomic number rule. The method also provides a general strategy for the development of single-metal-site catalysts for other applications.