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International audience; The structural characterization of supported molecular catalysts is challenging due to the low concentration of surface sites and the presence of several organic/organometallic surface groups resulting from the often complex surface chemistry associated with support functionalization. Here, we provide a complete atomic-scale description of all surface sites in a silica-supported iridium-N-heterocyclic carbene (Ir-NHC) catalytic material, at all stages of its synthesis. By combining a suitable isotope labelling strategy with the implementation of multi-nuclear dipolar recoupling DNP enhanced NMR experiments, the 3D structure of the Ir-NHC sites, as well as that of the synthesis intermediates were determined. As a significant fraction of parent surface fragments does not react during the multi-step synthesis, site-selective experiments were implemented to specifically probe proximities between the organometallic groups and the solid support. The NMR-derived structure of the iridium sites points to a well-defined conformation. By interpreting extended x-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) spectroscopy and chemical analysis data augmented by computational studies, the presence of two coordination geometries is demonstrated: Ir-NHC fragments coordinated by a 1,5-cyclooctadiene and one Cl ligand, as well as, more surprisingly, a fragment coordinated by two NHC and two Cl ligands. This study demonstrates a unique methodology to disclose individual surface structures in complex, multi-site environments, a long-standing challenge in the field of heterogeneous/supported catalysts, while revealing new, unexpected structural features of metallo-NHC supported substrates. It also highlights the potentially large diversity of surface sites present in functional materials prepared by surface chemistry, an essential knowledge to design materials with improved performances.

The molecular level characterization of heterogeneous catalysts is challenging due to the low concentration of surface sites and the lack of techniques that can selectively probe the surface of a heterogeneous material. Here, we report the joint application of room temperature proton-detected NMR spectroscopy under fast magic angle spinning (MAS) and dynamic nuclear polarization surface enhanced NMR spectroscopy (DNP-SENS), to obtain the 195Pt solid-state NMR spectra of a prototypical example of highly dispersed Pt sites (single site or single atom), here prepared via surface organometallic chemistry, by grafting [(COD)Pt(OSi(OtBu)3)2] (1, COD = 1,5-cyclooctadiene) on partially dehydroxylated silica (1@SiO2). Compound 1@SiO2 has a Pt loading of 3.7 wt %, a surface area of 200 m2/g, and a surface Pt density of around 0.6 Pt site/nm2. Fast MAS 1H{195Pt} dipolar-HMQC and S-REDOR experiments were implemented on both the molecular precursor 1 and on the surface complex 1@SiO2, providing access to 195Pt isotropic shifts and Pt–H distances, respectively. For 1@SiO2, the measured isotropic shift and width of the shift distribution constrain fits of the static wide-line DNP-enhanced 195Pt spectrum, allowing the 195Pt chemical shift tensor parameters to be determined. Overall the NMR data provide evidence for a well-defined, single-site structure of the isolated Pt sites.

International audience; A novel heterobimetallic tantalum/iridium hydrido complex, [{Ta(CH2 t Bu)3}{IrH2(Cp*)}] 1, featuring a very short metal-metal bond, has been isolated through an original alkane elimination route from Ta(CH t Bu)(CH2 t Bu)3 and Cp*IrH4. This molecular precursor has been used to synthesize well-defined silica-supported low-coordinate heterobime-tallic hydrido species [≡SiOTa(CH2 t Bu)2{IrH2(Cp*)}] 5 and [≡SiOTa(CH2 t Bu)H{IrH2(Cp*)}] 6 using a surface organometallic chemistry approach (SOMC). The SOMC methodology prevents undesired dimerization as encountered in solution and leading to a tetranuclear species [{Ta(CH2 t Bu)2}(Cp*IrH)]2, 4. This approach therefore allows access to unique low-coordinate species not attainable in solution. These original supported Ta/Ir species exhibit drastically enhanced catalytic performances in H/D exchange reactions with respect to (i) monometallic analogues as well as (ii) homogeneous systems. In particular, material 6 promotes the H/D exchange between fluorobenzene and C6D6 or D2 as deuterium sources with excellent productivity (TON up to 1422; TOF up to 23.3 h-1) under mild conditions (25°C, subatmospheric D2 pressure) without any additives.

International audience; A stepwise surface organometallic chemistry (SOMC) methodology consisting in using a silica-supported tantalum species, [(≡SiO)Ta(CH t Bu)(CH2 t Bu)2], as a reactive center to coordinate an iridium site, was developed to construct tantalum/iridium heterobimetallic edifices. The resulting material, MAT-2, exhibits enhanced catalytic performances-both in H/D isotopic exchange and alkane metathesis reactions-in comparison to MAT-1, which was prepared from the direct grafting on silica of a well-defined heterobimetallic Ta/Ir complex. We projected that the difference in catalytic activity was due to the presence of distinct active sites and we used a combination of advanced spectroscopic methods (IR, solid-state NMR and XAS spectroscopies) as well as modeling (computational studies and molecular models) to identify the structure of these surface species. These investigations point towards the presence of three types of active sites at the surface of MAT-2: the heterobimetallic surface species, [≡SiOTa(CH2 t Bu)2{IrH2(Cp*)}] 2-s, which is also found in MAT-1, as well as an unanticipated heterotrimetallic species, [≡SiOTa(CH2 t Bu)2{IrH2(Cp*)}], 3-s along with some unreacted monometallic Ta sites [(≡SiO)Ta(CH t Bu)(CH2 t Bu)2], 1-s. The well-defined trimetallic surface species 3-s was independently prepared and characterized to support this hypothesis. This study highlights the importance of the synthetic methodology used for the preparation of heterobimetallic species through SOMC, and the difficulty to obtain true single-sites surface species.

The addition of aluminum-based adjuvants in vaccines enhances the immune response to antigens. The strength of antigen adsorption on adjuvant gels is known to modulate vaccine efficacy. However, a detailed understanding of the mechanisms of interaction between aluminum gels and antigens is still missing. Herein, a new analytical approach based on dynamic nuclear polarization (DNP) enhanced NMR spectroscopy under magic angle spinning (MAS) is implemented to provide a molecular description of the antigen-adjuvant interface. This approach is demonstrated on hepatitis B surface antigen particles in combination with three aluminum gels obtained from different suppliers. Both noncovalent and covalent interactions between the phospholipids of the antigen particles and the surface of the aluminum gels are identified by using MAS DNP NMR 27 Al and 31 P correlation experiments. Although covalent interactions were detected for only one of the formulations, dipolar recoupling rotational echo adiabatic passage double resonance (REAPDOR) experiments reveal significant differences in the strength of weak interactions.