ELECTROCHEMICAL REDUCTION OF BENZYL CHLORIDE ON SILVER, GRAPHITE AND SILVER/GRAPHITE POWDER MACROELECTRODES

Substrate-Dependent Hydridic and Radical Reactivity of Triiron Hydride Clusters

The reactivity of iron clusters with one of more μ-hydrides and in the weak field pertains to catalysis on surfaces and biological metal cluster cofactors. As a model, then, a reactivity survey of the weak-field ligated iron hydride clusters Fe3H3L (1) and (FeCO)2Fe(μ3-H)L (2) (where L3- is a tris(β-diketiminate)cyclophanate) with Brønsted acids, organochlorides, acetyl chloride, boron trihalides, and titanium electrophiles is reported. Complex 1 reacts with Brønsted acids H2O and [Et3NH][Cl] to afford Fe3(OH)3L (3) and Fe3H2ClL (4), respectively, consistent with hydridic reactivity. Clusters 1 and 2 react readily with organochlorides, such as CCl4, CHCl3, and CH2Cl2, with identified intermediates supporting a radical pathway. Complex 1 reacts with trityl chloride (2 equiv) to selectively afford Fe3HCl2L (5) with reductive elimination of dihydrogen observed. Mixed-valent complex 2 reacts with AcCl to afford (FeCO)Fe2HClL (9). The scope of reactivity displayed implicates possible pathways accessible to larger clusters in biology or on metal surfaces.

Electrode-modified block copoly-ionic liquid boosting the CO2 reduction toward CO in water-based media

Coupling polymer and ionic liquids with electrodes for catalysis is a promising tool for optimization of electrocatalytic CO₂ reduction reaction (CO₂RR). Here, block copolymer ionic liquids BCPILs were synthesized via controlled radical polymerization and nucleophilic post-substitution to introduce imidazole moieties. We show that, thanks to these PIL functionalities, the BCPIL/Re@HPC/GDL electrode can keep the selectivity toward CO when a higher amount of water is present in the electrolyte than the raw Re@HPC/GDL system. Our results help to understand the development of solid-state ionic liquids for enhanced CO₂RR in water-based electrolyte.

Synthesis of Ag nanoparticles/ordered mesoporous carbon as a highly efficient catalyst for the electroreduction of benzyl bromide

To develop efficient catalysts for the electroreduction of organic halides, a facile one-pot synthesis of Ag nanoparticles/ordered mesoporous carbon electrode materials via the self-assembly of CH3COOAg and resol in the presence of triblock copolymer is proposed. The resultant electrode materials possess uniform mesopore sizes (3.3 nm) and pore volumes (∼0.28 cm3 g-1), high specific surface areas (∼500 m2 g-1), and uniformly dispersed Ag nanoparticles (12-36 nm) loaded within the carbon matrix. Cyclic voltammetry, measurements of electrochemically active surface area, and electrolysis experiments were conducted to understand the correlations between the catalytic ability and the structural and textural features of the catalysts. Excellent bibenzyl yield (98%) and remarkable reusability were obtained under mild conditions. The results confirm that the prepared nanocomposites show outstanding performance in the electroreduction degradation of PhCH2Br to bibenzyl.