Scientific AchievementThe dynamics of rare earth complexes supported in ultra-confined environments were counterintuitively observed to increase. The observed motions imply a weakening, or breaking, of support-metal interactions and the formation of an undercoordinated site.
Significance and Impact
Undercoordinated sites are prized for catalysis due to their heightened reactivity. This work suggests a general approach for their synthesis in heterogeneous systems.
Research Details
- Rare earth amidinate complexes were grafted to silicas of varied pore dimensions (2.2, 3.0, 6.0, and 15 nm).
- Variable temperature 1H-13C dipolar coupling measurements were used to measure ligand and complex dynamics.
- Ligand dynamics were hindered by confinement, but Si-O-Sc rotations could not be frozen in the 2.2 nm pores.
Southern, S. A.; Thompson, A..; Sadow, A. D.; Perras, F. A., Inorg. Chem. Front.. 2024, 11, 6862-6873. https://doi.org/10.1039/D4QI01261E