Formation of a Pt_(12) Cluster by Single-Atom Control That Leads to Enhanced Reactivity: Hydrogenation of Unreactive Olefins

摘要

Metal nanoparticles (NPs) have been applied to organic reactions as catalysts because of their large surface-to-volume ratio relative to those of bulk metals. In contrast, subna-noclusters (SNCs) occasionally exhibit significantly different reactivities from those of the larger nanoparticles. There are still few reports of the SNC catalysts in solution-phase reactions because their application requires two contradictory conditions: 1) suppression of the aggregation by a protection of the surface; and 2) enough surface accessibility for the reactants onto the catalytic active sites. An application of the SNCs as the catalyst is one of the most important challenges in current catalytic chemistry. Although conventional stabilizers, such as surfactants, polymers, and dendrimers have been utilized for the size control of the NPs, the considerable size distribution still remains.