Formation of a Highly Reactive Cobalt Nanocluster Crystal within a Highly Negatively Charged Porous Coordination Cage

Yu Fang; Zhifeng Xiao; Jialuo Li; Christina Lollar; Lujia Liu; Xizhen Lian; Shuai Yuan; Sayan Banerjee; Peng Zhang; Hong-Cai Zhou

doi:10.1002/anie.201712372

Formation of a Highly Reactive Cobalt Nanocluster Crystal within a Highly Negatively Charged Porous Coordination Cage

Angew Chem Int Ed Engl. 2018 May 4;57(19):5283-5287. doi: 10.1002/anie.201712372. Epub 2018 Mar 30.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Department of Chemistry, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843, USA.
² Department of Chemistry, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA.

PMID: 29431893
DOI: 10.1002/anie.201712372

Abstract

Earth-abundant first-row transition-metal nanoclusters (NCs) have been extensively investigated as catalysts. However, their catalytic activity is relatively low compared with noble metal NCs. Enhanced catalytic activity of cobalt NCs can be achieved by encapsulating Co NCs in soluble porous coordination cages (PCCs). Two cages, PCC-2a and 2b, possess almost identical cavity in shape and size, while PCC-2a has five times more net charges than PCC-2b. Co²⁺ cations were accumulated in PCC-2a and reduced to ultra-small Co NCs in situ, while for PCC-2b, only bulky Co particles were formed. As a result, Co NCs@PCC-2a accomplished the highest catalytic activity in the hydrolysis of ammonium borane among all the first-row transition-metals NCs. Based on these results, it is envisioned that confining in the charged porous coordination cage could be a novel route for the synthesis of ultra-small NCs with extraordinary properties.

Keywords: ammonia-borane; first-row transition metals; hydrogen generation; metal-organic polyhedra; nanoclusters.

Publication types

Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't