Solvent-Free Buchwald-Hartwig Amination of Heteroaryl Chlorides by -Heterocyclic Carbene-Palladium Complex (SIPr)Pd(cin)Cl at Room Temperature.

Using the robust -heterocyclic carbene-palladium complex (SIPr)Pd(cin)Cl, a highly efficient and easy-to-operate method has been developed at room temperature for the solvent-free Buchwald-Hartwig amination of heteroaryl chlorides with various amines. The amount of catalyst can be as low as 0.05 wt %.

Transition Metal Nitride Coated with Atomic Layers of Pt as a Low-Cost, Highly Stable Electrocatalyst for the Oxygen Reduction Reaction.

The main challenges to the commercial viability of polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells are (i) the high cost associated with using large amounts of Pt in fuel cell cathodes to compensate for the sluggish kinetics of the oxygen reduction reaction, (ii) catalyst degradation, and (iii) carbon-support corrosion. To address these obstacles, our group has focused on robust, carbon-free transition metal nitride materials with low Pt content that exhibit tunable physical and catalytic properties. Here, we report on the high performance of a novel catalyst with low Pt content, prepared by placing several layers of Pt atoms on nanoparticles of titanium nickel binary nitride.