Doubling the life of Cu/ZnO methanol synthesis catalysts via use of Si as a structural promoter to inhibit sintering.

Cu/ZnO/Al2O3 catalysts used to synthesize methanol undergo extensive deactivation during use, mainly due to sintering. Here, we report on formulations wherein deactivation has been substantially reduced by the targeted use of a small quantity of a Si-based promoter, resulting in accrued activity benefits that can exceed a factor of 1.8 versus unpromoted catalysts. This enhanced stability also provides longer lifetimes, up to double that of prior generation catalysts. Detailed characterization of a library of aged catalysts has allowed the most important deactivation mechanisms to be established and the chemical state of the silicon promoter to be identified. We show that silicon is incorporated within the ZnO lattice, providing a pronounced improvement in the hydrothermal stability of this component. These findings have important implications for sustainable methanol production from H2 and CO2.

A "one pot" mass spectrometry technique for characterizing solution- and gas-phase photochemical reactions by electrospray mass spectrometry.

The characterization of new photochemical pathways is important to progress the understanding of emerging areas of light-triggered inorganic and organic chemistry. In this context, the development of platforms to perform routine characterization of photochemical reactions remains an important goal for photochemists. Here, we demonstrate a new instrument that can be used to characterise both solution-phase and gas-phase photochemical reactions through electrospray ionisation mass spectrometry (ESI-MS). The gas-phase photochemistry is studied by novel laser-interfaced mass spectrometry (LIMS), where the molecular species of interest is introduced to the gas-phase by ESI, mass-selected and then subjected to laser photodissociation in the ion-trap. On-line solution-phase photochemistry is initiated by LEDs prior to ESI-MS in the same instrument with ESI-MS again being used to monitor photoproducts. Two ruthenium metal carbonyls, [Ru(η5-C5H5)(PPh3)2CO][PF6] and [Ru(η5-C5H5)(dppe)CO][PF6] (dppe = 1,2-bis(diphenylphosphino)ethane) are studied using this methodology. We show that the gas-phase photofragmentation pathways observed for the ruthenium complexes via LIMS (i.e. loss of CO + PPh3 ligands from [Ru(η5-C5H5)(PPh3)2CO]+ and loss of just CO from [Ru(η5-C5H5)(dppe)CO]+) mirror the solution-phase photochemistry at 3.4 eV. The advantages of performing the gas-phase and solution-phase photochemical characterisations in a single instrument are discussed.

[Ru(η5-C5H5)(η6-C10H8)]PF6 as a catalyst precursor for the one-pot direct C-H alkenylation of nitrogen heterocycles.

The ruthenium naphthalene complex [Ru(η(5)-C5H5)(η(6)-C10H8)](+) is a catalyst precursor for the direct C-H alkenylation of pyridine and related nitrogen heterocycles by terminal alkynes. Stoichiometric studies have demonstrated that the naphthalene ligand may be displaced by either pyridine, 4-methylpyridine or dimethylaminopyridine (DMAP) to give species [Ru(η(5)-C5H5)L3](+) (L = nitrogen-based ligand). Reaction of in situ-generated [Ru(η(5)-C5H5)(py)3](+) (py = pyridine) with PPh3 results in the formation of [Ru(η(5)-C5H5)(PPh3)(py)2](+), the active catalyst for direct alkenylation, some [Ru(η(5)-C5H5)(PPh3)2(py)](+) is also formed in this reaction. A one-pot procedure is reported which has allowed for the nature of the nitrogen heterocycle and phosphine ligand to be evaluated. The sterically demanding phosphine PCy3 inhibits catalysis, and only trace amounts of product are formed when precursors containing a pentamethylcyclopentadienyl group were used. The greatest conversion was observed with PMe3 when used as co-ligand with [Ru(η(5)-C5H5)(η(6)-C10H8)](+).

Ruthenium-mediated C-H functionalization of pyridine: the role of vinylidene and pyridylidene ligands.

A combined experimental and theoretical study has demonstrated that [Ru(η(5)-C(5)H(5))(py)(2)(PPh(3))](+) is a key intermediate, and active catalyst for, the formation of 2-substituted E-styrylpyridines from pyridine and terminal alkynes HC≡CR (R = Ph, C(6)H(4)-4-CF(3)) in a 100% atom efficient manner under mild conditions. A catalyst deactivation pathway involving formation of the pyridylidene-containing complex [Ru(η(5)-C(5)H(5))(κ(3)-C(3)-C(5)H(4)NCH═CHR)(PPh(3))](+) and subsequently a 1-ruthanaindolizine complex has been identified. Mechanistic studies using (13)C- and D-labeling and DFT calculations suggest that a vinylidene-containing intermediate [Ru(η(5)-C(5)H(5))(py)(═C═CHR)(PPh(3))](+) is formed, which can then proceed to the pyridylidene-containing deactivation product or the desired product depending on the reaction conditions. Nucleophilic attack by free pyridine at the α-carbon in this complex subsequently leads to formation of a C-H agostic complex that is the branching point for the productive and unproductive pathways. The formation of the desired products relies on C-H bond cleavage from this agostic complex in the presence of free pyridine to give the pyridyl complex [Ru(η(5)-C(5)H(5))(C(5)H(4)N)(═C═CHR)(PPh(3))]. Migration of the pyridyl ligand (or its pyridylidene tautomer) to the α-carbon of the vinylidene, followed by protonation, results in the formation of the 2-styrylpyridine. These studies demonstrate that pyridylidene ligands play an important role in both the productive and nonproductive pathways in this catalyst system.