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Title: Electrocatalytic Isoxazoline–Nanocarbon Metal Complexes

Journal Article · · Journal of the American Chemical Society
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1021/jacs.1c05439· OSTI ID:1864830

In this work, we report the synthesis of new carbon-nanomaterial-based metal chelates that enable effective electronic coupling to electrocatalytic transition metals. In particular, multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) and few-layered graphene (FLG) were covalently functionalized by a microwave-assisted cyclo-addition with nitrile oxides to form metal-binding isoxazoline functional groups with high densities. The covalent attachment was evidenced by Raman spectroscopy, and the chemical identity of the surface functional groups was confirmed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS). The functional carbon nanomaterials effectively chelate precious metals Ir(III), Pt(II), and Ru(III), as well as earth-abundant metals such as Ni(II), to afford materials with metal contents as high as 3.0 atom %. The molecularly dispersed nature of the catalysts was confirmed by X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (STEM-EDS) elemental mapping. The interplay between the chelate structure on the graphene surface and its metal binding ability has also been investigated by a combination of experimental and computational studies. The defined ligands on the graphene surfaces enable the formation of structurally precise heterogeneous molecular catalysts. The direct attachment of the isoxazoline functional group on the graphene surfaces provides strong electronic coupling between the chelated metal species and the conductive carbon nanomaterial support. We demonstrate that the metal-chelated carbon nanomaterials are effective heterogeneous catalysts in the oxygen evolution reaction with low overpotentials and tunable catalytic activity.

Research Organization:
Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
National Science Foundation (NSF); National Institutes of Health (NIH); USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES)
Grant/Contract Number:
AC02-06CH11357; P42 ES027707; DMR-1809740; 1541959; ECCS-202506
OSTI ID:
1864830
Journal Information:
Journal of the American Chemical Society, Vol. 143, Issue 27; ISSN 0002-7863
Publisher:
American Chemical Society (ACS)Copyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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