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Dieisen-Kofaktoren in Enzymen vollziehen diverse anspruchsvolle Transformationen. Die Strukturen hoch-valenter Intermediate (Q in der löslichen Methanmonooxygenase und X in der Ribonukleotidreduktase) sind Gegenstand aktueller Diskussionen, seit Fe-Fe-Abstände von 2.1–3.4 Å eine Zuordnung zu geöffneten und geschlossen Kernen mit verbrückenden oder terminalen Oxido-Gruppen in den aktiven Zentren ermöglichen. In dieser Studie berichten wir die kristallografische und spektroskopische Charakterisierung eines FeIII2(μ-O)2-Komplexes (2) mit tetraedrischen (4C) Zentren sowie einem geringen Fe-Fe-Abstand (2.52 Å), der in Lösungsmitteln beständig ist. 2 zeigt eine große Fe-K-Vorkanten-Intensität. Diese resultiert aus der starken Asymmetrie an den TD-FeIII-Zentren bedingt durch die kurzen Fe-μ-O-Bindungen. Während ein Fe-Fe-Abstand von ≈2.5 Å für sechsfach-koordinierte Zentren in Q und X unwahrscheinlich ist, könnte ein Fe2(μ-O)2-Kern mit vierfacher (oder möglicherweise auch fünffacher) Koordination flexibel genug sein, um eine kurze Fe-Fe-Separierung mit großer Vorkanten-Intensität zu ermöglichen. Diese Erkenntnis kann dazu beitragen, dass weitere Modelle für die Strukturen der hoch-valenten Dieisen-Intermediate, die sich im Zuge der biologischen O2-Aktivierung bilden, in Betracht gezogen werden.

Atomic layer deposition (ALD) of POx on V2O5 powder was applied as a tool to tailor active and selective sites of a bulk catalyst. ALD leads to homogeneous P deposition on the V2O5 surface with linear increase of P content with each ALD cycle. The catalyst performance was evaluated and correlated to structural motifs identified by detailed characterization methods. The catalytic conversion of butane to maleic anhydride (MAN) was chosen as proof-of-concept reaction. The selectivity towards MAN increases with ALD cycle number from 1–3 ALD cycles and remains constant at higher ALD cycles. Restructuring of the catalyst surface is induced by steam during reaction conditions at elevated temperatures. Excessive P is migrating away from the catalyst surface to form various VOPO4 polymorphs revealing partially but homogeneously covered V2O5 by P. The formed VOPO4 species barely contribute to the yield to MAN. Solid-state 31P-NMR was used to identify fingerprints relevant for selectivity and activity. This work shows that synthesizing model catalysts by atomic layer deposition combined with detailed analytics can reveal property-performance relationships.

Electrochemical reduction of CO2 (CO2RR) driven by renewable energy has gained increasing attention for sustainable production of chemicals and fuels. Catalyst design to overcome large overpotentials and poor product selectivity remains however challenging. Sn/SnOx and In/InOx composites have been reported active for CO2RR with high selectivity toward formate formation. In this work, the CO2RR activity and selectivity of metal/metal oxide composite nanoparticles formed by in situ reduction of bimetallic amorphous SnInOx thin films are investigated. It is shown that during CO2RR the amorphous SnInOx pre‐catalyst thin films are reduced in situ into Sn1–XInX@In1–YSnYOz core@shell nanoparticles composed of Sn‐rich SnIn alloy nanocores (with x

In stark contrast to the reactivity of the bis-silylenyl dicarborane CB���Si2 (1) [CB = ortho-C,C���-C2B10H10, Si = PhC(tBuN)2Si] towards O2, N2O, and CO2, yielding the same dioxygenation product CB���Si2O2 (2) with a four-membered 1,3,2,4-disiladioxetane ring, the activation of the latter small molecules with the phosphanyl-silylenyl-functionalised CB���SiP (3) {P[double bond, length as m-dash]P[N(tBu)CH2]2} affords with O2 the CB���Si([double bond, length as m-dash]O)P([double bond, length as m-dash]O) silanone-phosphine oxide (4), with N2O the CB���Si([double bond, length as m-dash]O)P silanone-phosphine (5), and with CO2 the CB���Si(O2C[double bond, length as m-dash]O)P silicon carbonate-phosphine (6) and CB���C([double bond, length as m-dash]O)OSiOP ester (7), respectively.

As-prepared materials tested for a catalytic reaction are usually only precatalysts that become active and/or selective under specific conditions. During this initial formation phase, catalysts can undergo a change in their structure, morphology, chemical state, or even composition. This dynamic behavior has a vital impact on reactivity, and we identified that this initial formation phase is also critical for Rh in the catalytic conversion of synthesis gas to oxygenates and ethanol in particular. The syngas-to-ethanol reaction (StE) is a promising alternative route to ethanol from fossil and nonfossil carbon resources. Despite heavy research efforts, rates and selectivities still need to be improved for industrial operations. For this reason, structure–function relationships at industrially relevant reaction conditions must be clarified. Although some in situ and operando studies have been reported, a pressure gap still exists between experimental and process-relevant high-pressure conditions. To overcome this pressure gap and investigate the dynamic behavior of Rh-based catalysts under reaction conditions, we applied a generic method for formation phase studies at high partial pressures of synthesis gas where standard operando methods are inapplicable. Combining integral and local characterization methods before and after a long-term catalytic test of a RhFeOx/SiO2 catalyst (>140 h on stream) allowed us to ascribe a drastic decrease in ethanol formation to a structural change from an unalloyed RhFeOx to an alloyed RhFe/FeOx nanostructure. Our investigation provides an explanation for the great variation of reported catalytic results of RhFe catalysts and their nanostructures in synthesis gas conversion. The structure–function relationship we identified finally provides the opportunity for improved catalyst design strategies: stabilizing the Rh–FeOx interface by preventing RhFe nanoalloy formation. As one example, we report a RhFeOx catalyst on a high surface area Mn2O3 support which decreases the Fe mobility and reducibility through the formation of a (Fe,Mn)Ox mixed surface oxide. Stabilizing the Rh–FeOx interface finally led to stable ethanol selectivity, and the formation of RhFe nanoalloy structures was not observed.

Atomic layer deposition (ALD) is an industrially applied technique for thin film deposition. The vast majority of processes target flat substrates rather than powders. For ALD on powders, new processes are needed, as different reaction conditions are required. Here, two setups are described in detail, which enhance the ALD process development for powders. The first setup described is capable of directly measuring the vapor pressure of a given precursor by a capacitance diaphragm gauge. Promising precursors can be pre-selected, and suitable precursor saturation temperatures can be determined. The second setup consists of four parallel reactors with individual temperature zones to screen the optimal ALD temperature window in a time efficient way. Identifying the precursor saturation temperature beforehand and subsequently performing the first ALD half cycle in the parallel setup at four different reactor temperatures simultaneously will drastically reduce process development times. Validation of both setups is shown for the well-known ALD precursors, trimethylaluminum to deposit aluminum oxide and diethyl zinc to deposit zinc oxide, both on amorphous silica powder.

Herein, we report on intermetallic iron germanide ($Fe_{6} Ge_{5}$) as a novel oxygen evolution reaction (OER) precatalyst with a Tafel slope of 32 mV $dec^{−1}$ and an overpotential of 272 mV at 100 mA $cm^{−2}$ in alkaline media. Furthermore, we uncover the in situ formation of a core–shell like structure that slowly collapses under OER conditions.

Atomic layer deposition is a rising technique for catalyst synthesis and modification. Typically, the focus of ALD in catalysis is on supported metal nanoparticles. Here, the authors give mechanistic insights into the ALD of oxides on redox active catalysts by a combination of in situ analytics, such as XPS, DRIFTS and gravimetric measurements. Phosphorus oxide and aluminum oxide were deposited on divanadium pentoxide powder in a fixed bed reactor. In contrast to the generally accepted concepts, the first half cycle does not proceed over surface hydroxyl groups but involves redox chemistry between the precursor and the vanadium atoms, as shown by 31P-SSNMR and XPS. For POx deposition, a temperature step from 150 °C in the first half cycle to 450 °C in the second half cycle is needed to obtain linear mass gain per cycle as the remaining ligands are combusted and reduced vanadium atoms are reoxidized. Homogeneous deposition was confirmed by STEM-EDX and XRD showing no additional phases, despite performing up to 10 ALD cycles. Even the well-known process of alumina ALD confirms the involvement of reduction–oxidation reactions between the ALD precursor and the substrate V2O5. However, redox chemistry can be suppressed for alumina ALD at low temperatures of 50 °C. Therefore, this study shows that ALD on oxidation catalysts is complex and thus the developed ALD processes are unusual compared to ALD on typical supports, such as SiO2 or Al2O3.

The oxygen evolution reaction (OER) through water oxidation is a key process for multiple energy storage technologies required for a sustainable energy economy such as the formation of the fuel hydrogen from water and electricity, or metal‐air batteries. Herein, we investigate the suitability of Cu2FeSnS4 for the OER and demonstrate its superiority over iron sulfide, iron (oxy)hydroxides and benchmark noble‐metal catalysts in alkaline media. Electrodeposited Cu2FeSnS4 yields the current densities of 10 and 1000 mA/cm2 at overpotentials of merely 228 and 330 mV, respectively. State‐of‐the‐art analytical methods are applied before and after electrocatalysis to uncover the fate of the Cu2FeSnS4 precatalyst under OER conditions and to deduce structure‐activity relationships. Cu2FeSnS4 is the first compound reported for OER among the broad class of stannite structure type materials containing multiple members with highly active earth‐abundant transition‐metals for OER.

The first β-diketiminato triphosphido diiron complex was synthesized as a versatile molecular single-source precursor for the production of functional FeP that acts as a powerful and durable bifunctional electrocatalyst for water splitting., In large-scale, hydrogen production from water-splitting represents the most promising solution for a clean, recyclable, and low-cost energy source. The realization of viable technological solutions requires suitable efficient electrochemical catalysts with low overpotentials and long-term stability for both hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) based on cheap and nontoxic materials. Herein, we present a unique molecular approach to monodispersed, ultra-small, and superiorly active iron phosphide (FeP) electrocatalysts for bifunctional OER, HER, and overall water-splitting. They result from transformation of a molecular iron phosphide precursor, containing a [Fe2P3] core with mixed-valence FeIIFeIII sites bridged by an asymmetric cyclo-P(2+1)3– ligand. The as-synthesized FeP nanoparticles act as long-lasting electrocatalysts for OER and HER with low overpotential and high current densities that render them one of the best-performing electrocatalysts hitherto known. The fabricated alkaline electrolyzer delivered low cell voltage with durability over weeks, representing an attractive catalyst for large-scale water-splitting technologies.

This article may be downloaded for personal use only. Any other use requires prior permission of the author and AIP Publishing. This article appeared in Review of Scientific Instruments 88, 074102 (2017) and may be found at https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4992023., A modular setup for Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD) on high-surface powder substrates in fixed bed reactors with a gravimetric in situ monitoring was developed. The design and operation are described in detail. An integrated magnetically suspended balance records mass changes during ALD. The highly versatile setup consists of three modular main units: a dosing unit, a reactor unit, and a downstream unit. The reactor unit includes the balance, a large fixed bed reactor, and a quartz crystal microbalance. The dosing unit is equipped with a complex manifold to deliver gases and gaseous reagents including three different ALD precursors, five oxidizing or reducing agents, and two purge gas lines. The system employs reactor temperatures and pressures in the range of 25-600 °C and 10−3 to 1 bar, respectively. Typically, powder batches between 100 mg and 50 g can be coated. The capabilities of the setup are demonstrated by coating mesoporous SiO2 powder with a thin AlOx (submono) layer using three cycles with trimethylaluminium and H2O. The self-limiting nature of the deposition has been verified with the in situ gravimetric monitoring and full saturation curves are presented. The process parameters were used for a scale-up in a large fixed bed reactor. The samples were analyzed with established analytics such as X-ray diffraction, N2 adsorption, transmission electron microscopy, and inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry.

In contrast to molecular CO and CO2, their heavier mono- and dichalcogenide homologues, EX and EX2 (E = Si, Ge, Sn, Pb; X = O, S, Se, Te), are important support materials (e.g., SiO2) and/or semiconductors (e.g., SiS2) and exist typically as insoluble crystalline or amorphous polymers under normal conditions. Herein, we report the first successful synthesis and characterisation of an extraordinary series of isolable monomeric GeX and GeX2 complexes (X = S, Se, Te), representing novel classes of compounds and heavier congeners of CO and CO2. This could be achieved by solvent-dependent oxidation reactions of the new zero-valent germanium ('germylone')-GaCl3 precursor adduct (bis-NHC)Ge-0 -> GaCl3 1 (bis-NHC = H2C[{NC(H)=C(H)N(Dipp)}C:](2), Dipp = 2,6-iPr(2)C(6)H(3)) with elemental chalcogens, affording the donor-acceptor stabilised monomeric germanium(IV) dichalcogenide (bis-NHC)Ge-IV(=X)=X -> GaCl3 (X = S, 2; X = Se, 3) and germanium(II) monochalcogenide complexes (bis-NHC)Ge-II= X -> GaCl3 (X = Se, 4; X = Te, 5), respectively. Moreover, the reactivity of 4 and 5 towards elemental sulphur, selenium, and tellurium has been investigated. In THF, the germanium(II) monoselenide complex 4 reacts with activated elemental selenium to afford the desired germanium(IV) diselenide complex 3. Unexpectedly, both reactions of 4 and 5 with elemental sulphur, however, lead to the formation of germanium(IV) disulfide complex 2 under liberation of elemental Se and Te as a result of further oxidation of the germanium centre and replacement of the Se and Te atoms by sulphur atoms. All novel compounds 1-5 have been fully characterised, including single-crystal X-ray diffraction analyses, and studied by DFT calculations.

Two new heterobimetallic [LNiO2Cu(RPY2)](+) (RPY2 = N-substituted bis 2-pyridyl(ethylamine) ligands with R = indane, 3a or R = Me, 3b) complexes have been spectroscopically trapped at low temperatures. They were prepared by reacting the mononuclear side-on LNiII superoxo precursor bearing a beta-diketiminate ligand (L = [HC-(CMeNC6H3(iPr)(2))(2)]) with the Cu(I) complexes. In contrast to the oxo groups in known high-valent [M-2(mu-O)(2)](n+) (M = Fe, Co, Ni, Cu) cores that display electrophilic reactivities, 3a and 3b display rather nucleophilic oxo cores active in aldehyde deformylation reactions. However, the spectroscopic and reactivity properties of 3a/3b are found to be distinct relative to that of the previously reported [LNiO2Cu(MeAN)](+) complex containing a more basic (nucleophilic) N, N, N', N', N'-pentamethyl-dipropylenetriamine (MeAN) ligand at the copper centre. The geometry and electronic properties of the copper ligands affect the electron density of the oxygen atoms of the heterodinuclear {Ni(mu-O)(2)} core and 3a/3b undergo slower nucleophilic and faster electrophilic reactions than the previously reported [LNiO2Cu(MeAN)](+) intermediate. The present study therefore demonstrates the tuning of the electrophilicity/ nucleophilicity of the oxygen atoms of the heterobimetallic [Ni(mu-O)(2)Cu](2+) cores by controlling the electron donation from the ancillary ligands, and underlines the significance of subtle electronic changes in the physical and chemical properties of the biologically relevant heterobimetallic metal-dioxygen intermediates.

The first N-heterocyclic silylene (NHSi) complexes of any s-block element to date are reported for calcium: [(eta(5)-C5Me5)(2)Ca

The selective transformation of white phosphorus with a beta-diketiminato iron(I) toluene complex under mild reaction conditions is reported which furnishes a new dinuclear iron(III) Fe-2(P-2)(2) complex with two bridging P-2(2-) ligands. Its reduction with potassium results in the formation of the first delocalised mixed-valent bis-diphosphido iron(II,III) complex which is isostructural with the neutral Fe2P4 precursor.

Dieser Beitrag ist mit Zustimmung des Rechteinhabers aufgrund einer (DFG geförderten) Allianz- bzw. Nationallizenz frei zugänglich. This publication is with permission of the rights owner freely accessible due to an Alliance licence and a national licence (funded by the DFG, German Research Foundation) respectively. Starting from the chlorogermyliumylidene chloride salt [L(Cl)Ge:]Cl (1) (L = 1,1′-methylene-3,3′-di-2,6-diisopropyl-phenylimidazole-2,2′-diylidene), the chloride ion can be easily substituted by BPh4 to yield [L(Cl)Ge:]BPh4 (3). Reaction of the latter with NaN3 furnishes [L(N3)Ge:]BPh4 (4). In contrast, the direct reaction of 1 with NaN3 affords exclusively the first azidogermyliumylidene azide salt [L(N3)Ge:]N3 (2). The latter represents the first isolable diazido Ge(II) complex with a covalently bonded azido ligand and a weakly coordinating azide anion as the counterion. All new compounds 2, 3, and 4 were fully characterized, including using X-ray diffraction analysis.

Dieser Beitrag ist mit Zustimmung des Rechteinhabers aufgrund einer (DFG geförderten) Allianz- bzw. Nationallizenz frei zugänglich. This publication is with permission of the rights owner freely accessible due to an Alliance licence and a national licence (funded by the DFG, German Research Foundation) respectively. The facile synthesis of the first stable selenosilanoic acid–base adduct LSi([double bond, length as m-dash]Se)OH(dmap) 3 (L = CH[C(Me)NAr]2, Ar = 2,6-iPr2C6H3, dmap = 4-dimethylaminopyridine), the heavier analogue of the thiosilanoic acid adduct LSi([double bond, length as m-dash]S)OH(dmap) 1, is reported. Both adducts 1 and 3 react readily with MesCu (Mes = 2,4,6-trimethylphenyl) to form the novel dimeric Cu(I) complexes [LSi([double bond, length as m-dash]E)OCu]2 (4: E = S; 5: E = Se) with unprecedented intermolecular Si[double bond, length as m-dash]E → Cu–O–Si coordination modes. The latter are efficient pre-catalysts for the Cu(I)-mediated aziridination of styrene with PhI[double bond, length as m-dash]N(Ts) (Ts = tosyl).

Dieser Beitrag ist mit Zustimmung des Rechteinhabers aufgrund einer (DFG geförderten) Allianz- bzw. Nationallizenz frei zugänglich., This publication is with permission of the rights owner freely accessible due to an Alliance licence and a national licence (funded by the DFG, German Research Foundation) respectively., The novel chlorogermyliumylidene complex L[ClGe:]+ (L = 1,8-bis(tri-n-butylphosphanzenyl)naphthalene) with a ‘naked’ Cl− as a counter anion was synthesized through reaction of L with Cl2Ge: and fully characterized. Its reaction with elemental sulfur afforded the first germathionium [ClGe[double bond, length as m-dash]S]+ cation containing species. The latter has also been fully characterized, including single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis.