Issue 6, 2015

Sputtering-deposition of Ru nanoparticles onto Al2O3 modified with imidazolium ionic liquids: synthesis, characterisation and catalysis

Abstract

Well-distributed Ru nanoparticles (Ru-NPs) were produced over Al2O3 supports modified with covalently anchored imidazolium ionic liquids (ILs) containing different anions and cation lateral alkyl chain lengths by simple sputtering from a Ru foil. These Ru-NPs were active catalysts for the hydrogenation of benzene. Furthermore, depending on the nature of the IL used to modify the support (hydrophilic or hydrophobic), different catalytic behaviours were observed. Turnover numbers (TON) as high as 27 000 with a turnover frequency (TOF) of 2.73 s−1 were achieved with Ru-NPs of 6.4 nm supported in Al2O3 modified with an IL containing the N(SO2CF3)2 anion, whereas higher initial cyclohexene selectivities (ca. 20% at 1% benzene conversion) were attained for Ru-NPs of 6.6 nm in the case where Cl and BF4 anions were used. Such observations strongly suggest that thin layers of ILs surround the NP surface, modifying the reactivity of these catalytic systems. These findings open a new window of opportunity in the development of size-controlled Ru-NPs with tuneable reactivity.

Graphical abstract: Sputtering-deposition of Ru nanoparticles onto Al2O3 modified with imidazolium ionic liquids: synthesis, characterisation and catalysis

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
01 Oct 2014
Accepted
04 Dec 2014
First published
15 Dec 2014

Dalton Trans., 2015,44, 2827-2834

Author version available

Sputtering-deposition of Ru nanoparticles onto Al2O3 modified with imidazolium ionic liquids: synthesis, characterisation and catalysis

L. Foppa, L. Luza, A. Gual, D. E. Weibel, D. Eberhardt, S. R. Teixeira and J. Dupont, Dalton Trans., 2015, 44, 2827 DOI: 10.1039/C4DT03039G

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