Rhodium nanoparticles stabilized by ionic copolymers in ionic liquids: Long lifetime nanocluster catalysts for benzene hydrogenation

Novel ionic liquid-soluble ionic copolymers containing imidazolium ionic, a liquidlike unit is synthesized and rhodium nanoparticles stabilized by the ionic copolymer in ionic liquids is obtained. The nanoparticles showed unprecedented lifetime and activity in arene hydrogenation under forcing conditions with a total turnovers (TTO) of 20,000 and a turnover frequency (TOF) of 250 h(super -1).