Examinando por Autor "Bals, Sara"

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Additive-Free Synthesis of (Chiral) Gold Bipyramids from Pentatwinned Nanorods
(American Chemical Society, 2024-10-17) Bevilacqua, Francisco; Girod, Robin; Martin, Victor F.; Obelleiro-Liz, Manuel; Vinnacombe-Willson, Gail A.; Van Gordon, Kyle; Hofkens, Johan; Taboada, Jose M.; Bals, Sara; Liz-Marzán, Luis M.
The production of colloidal metal nanostructures with complex geometries usually involves shape-directing additives, such as metal ions or thiols, which stabilize high-index facets. These additives may however affect the nanoparticles’ surface chemistry, hindering applications, e.g., in biology or catalysis. We report herein the preparation of gold bipyramids with no need for additives and shape yields up to 99%, using pentatwinned Au nanorods as seeds and cetyltrimethylammonium chloride as surfactant. For high-growth solution:seed ratios, the bipyramids exhibit an unusual “belted” structure. Three-dimensional electron microscopy revealed the presence of high-index {117}, {115}, and {113} side facets, with {113} and {112} facets at the belt. Belted bipyramids exhibit strong near-field enhancement and high extinction in the near-infrared, in agreement with electromagnetic simulations. These Ag-free bipyramids were used to seed chiral overgrowth using 1,1′-binaphthyl-2,2′-diamine as a chiral inducer, with g-factor up to 0.02, likely the highest reported for bipyramid seeds so far.
Hf/porphyrin-based metal-organic framework PCN-224 for CO2 cycloaddition with epoxides
(Elsevier, 2023) Carrasco, Sergio; Orcajo, Gisela; Martínez, Fernando; Imaz, Inhar; Kavak, Safiyye; Arenas-Esteban, Daniel; Maspoch, Daniel; Bals, Sara; Calleja, Guillermo; Horcajada, Patricia
Herein, we describe for the first time the synthesis of the highly porous Hf-tetracarboxylate porphyrinbased metal-organic framework (MOF) (Hf)PCN-224(M) (M ¼ H2, Co2þ). (Hf)PCN-224(H2) was easily and efficiently prepared following a simple microwave-assisted procedure with good yields (56e67%; spacetime yields: 1100e1270 kg m3 $day1 ), high crystallinity and phase purity by using trifluoromethanesulfonic acid and benzoic acid as modulators in less than 30 min. By simply introducing a preliminary step (10 min), 5,10,15,20-(tetra-4-carboxyphenyl)porphyrin linker (TCPP) was quantitatively metalated with Co2þ without additional purification and/or time consuming protection/deprotection steps to further obtain (Hf)PCN-224(Co). (Hf)PCN-224(Co) was then tested as catalyst in CO2 cycloaddition reaction with different epoxides to yield cyclic carbonates, showing the best catalytic performance described to date compared to other PCNs, under mild conditions (1 bar CO2, room temperature, 18 e24 h). Twelve epoxides were tested, obtaining from moderate to excellent conversions (35e96%). Moreover, this reaction was gram scaled-up (x50) without significant loss of yield to cyclic carbonates. (Hf)PCN-224(Co) maintained its integrity and crystallinity even after 8 consecutive runs, and poisoning was efficiently reverted by a simple thermal treatment (175 C, 6 h), fully recovering the initial catalytic activity.
Scaling-Up Microwave-Assisted Synthesis of Highly Defective Pd@UiO-66-NH2 Catalysts for Selective Olefin Hydrogenation under Ambient Conditions
(American Chemical Society, 2024-04-26) Guerrero, Raúl M.; Lemir, Ignacio D.; Carrasco, Sergio; Fernández-Ruiz, Carlos; Kavak, Safiyye; Pizarro, Patricia; Serrano, David P.; Bals, Sara; Horcajada, Patricia; Pérez, Yolanda
The need to develop green and cost-effective industrial catalytic processes has led to growing interest in preparing more robust, efficient, and selective heterogeneous catalysts at a large scale. In this regard, microwave-assisted synthesis is a fast method for fabricating heterogeneous catalysts (including metal oxides, zeolites, metal–organic frameworks, and supported metal nanoparticles) with enhanced catalytic properties, enabling synthesis scale-up. Herein, the synthesis of nanosized UiO-66-NH2 was optimized via a microwave-assisted hydrothermal method to obtain defective matrices essential for the stabilization of metal nanoparticles, promoting catalytically active sites for hydrogenation reactions (760 kg·m–3·day–1 space time yield, STY). Then, this protocol was scaled up in a multimodal microwave reactor, reaching 86% yield (ca. 1 g, 1450 kg·m–3·day–1 STY) in only 30 min. Afterward, Pd nanoparticles were formed in situ decorating the nanoMOF by an effective and fast microwave-assisted hydrothermal method, resulting in the formation of Pd@UiO-66-NH2 composites. Both the localization and oxidation states of Pd nanoparticles (NPs) in the MOF were achieved using high-angle annular dark-field scanning transmission electron microscopy (HAADF-STEM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), respectively. The optimal composite, loaded with 1.7 wt % Pd, exhibited an extraordinary catalytic activity (>95% yield, 100% selectivity) under mild conditions (1 bar H2, 25 °C, 1 h reaction time), not only in the selective hydrogenation of a variety of single alkenes (1-hexene, 1-octene, 1-tridecene, cyclohexene, and tetraphenyl ethylene) but also in the conversion of a complex mixture of alkenes (i.e., 1-hexene, 1-tridecene, and anethole). The results showed a powerful interaction and synergy between the active phase (Pd NPs) and the catalytic porous scaffold (UiO-66-NH2), which are essential for the selectivity and recyclability.