Anchoring molecular catalysts on electrode surfaces combines the high selectivity and activity of molecular systems with the practicality of heterogeneous systems. Molecular catalysts, however, are far less stable than traditional heterogeneous electrocatalysts, and therefore a method to easily replace anchored molecular catalysts that have degraded could make such electrosynthetic systems more attractive. Here we applied a non-covalent 'click' chemistry approach to reversibly bind molecular electrocatalysts to electrode surfaces through host-guest complexation with surface-anchored cyclodextrins. The host-guest interaction is remarkably strong and enables the flow of electrons between the electrode and the guest catalyst. Electrosynthesis in both organic and aqueous media was demonstrated on metal oxide electrodes, with stability on the order of hours. The catalytic surfaces can be recycled by controlled release of the guest from the host cavities and the readsorption of fresh guest.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41557-021-00652-y | DOI Listing |
ACS Appl Mater Interfaces
January 2025
Center of Nanomaterials for Renewable Energy (CNRE), State Key Laboratory of Electrical Insulation and Power Equipment, School of Electrical Engineering, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049, P. R. China.
The Fe-N-C catalyst, featuring a single-atom Fe-N configuration, is regarded as one of the most promising catalytic materials for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). However, the significant activity difference under acidic and alkaline conditions of Fe-N-C remains a long-standing puzzle. In this work, using extensive ab initio molecular dynamics (AIMD) simulations, we revealed that pH conditions influence ORR activity by tuning the surface charge density of the Fe-N-C surface, rather than through the direct involvement of HO or OH ions.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Org Chem
January 2025
Chang-Kung Chuang Institute, Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Molecule Intelligent Syntheses, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200062, China.
A new stereoselective [4+2] annulation method for constructing tetracyclic indolines by reacting indoles with bicyclic N-substituted cyclobutanes has been developed. Using Sc(OTf) as a catalyst, a series of tetracyclic indolines with four continued stereogenic carbon centers have been obtained in ≤86% yields as single diastereomers. This reaction offers an accessible way for the rapid construction of the core structures of biologically active natural products like paucidirinine, deethylibophyllidine, and ibophyllidine.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Am Chem Soc
January 2025
Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, CAS Key Laboratory of Molecular Recognition and Function, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China.
Exploiting novel noncovalent interactions for catalysis design represents a fascinating direction. For the flexible and relatively weak anion-π interactions, manipulation of two or more π-acidic surfaces for cooperative activation is highly desirable. Here, we demonstrate the strategy of cooperative anion-π catalysis based on chiral molecular cages with V-shaped electron-deficient cavities for synergic binding and activation of dicarbonyl electrophiles toward highly enantioselective desymmetrization transformation.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFNat Commun
January 2025
School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, 211816, Nanjing, China.
Nat Commun
January 2025
Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan.
The advancement of an effective hydrogen liberation technology from liquid organic hydrogen carriers, particularly cycloalkanes such as cyclohexane and methylcyclohexane, holds significance in realizing a hydrogen-centric society. However, the attainment of homogeneous catalytic acceptorless dehydrogenation characterized by elevated selectivity for thorough aromatization under mild conditions remains unrealized. In this study, a catalyst system, facilitated by a double hydrogen atom transfer processes, has been devised for the catalytic acceptorless dehydrogenation of inert cycloalkanes at ambient temperature under visible light irradiation.
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