Exploring Opportunities for Platinum Nanoparticles Encapsulated in Porous Liquids as Hydrogenation Catalysts.

The unusual combination of characteristics observed for porous liquids, which are typically associated with either porous solids or liquids, has led to considerable interest in this new class of materials. However, these porous liquids have so far only been investigated for their ability to separate and store gases. Herein, the catalytic capability of Pt nanoparticles encapsulated within a Type I porous liquid (Pt@HS-SiO PL) is explored for the hydrogenation of several alkenes and nitroarenes under mild conditions (T=40 °C, P =1 atm).

Single-Step Methylation of Chitosan Using Dimethyl Carbonate as a Green Methylating Agent.

-Trimethyl chitosan (TMC) is one chitosan derivative that, because of its improved solubility, has been studied for industrial and pharmaceutic applications. Conventional methods for the synthesis of TMC involve the use of highly toxic and harmful reagents, such as methyl iodide and dimethyl sulfate (DMS). Although the methylation of dimethylated chitosan to TMC by dimethyl carbonate (DMC, a green and benign methylating agent) was reported recently, it involved a formaldehyde-based procedure.

The encapsulation of metal nanoparticles within porous liquids.

Herein, we report the first successful encapsulation of metal nanoparticles within a Type I porous liquid. We found that the presence of thiol groups was critical to both the encapsulation and the stabilisation of the metal nanoparticles.