Angwandte Chemie International Edition
First author: Chen Zemin
Corresponding author: Zhang Ying
Article title: “Synergize Strong and Reactive Metal-Support Interactions to Construct Sub-2 nm Metal Phosphide Cluster for Enhanced Selective Hydrogenation Activities”
Impact factor: 16.1
Article link: https://doi.org/10.1002/anie.202413788
Research background
Strong metal-support interaction (SMSI) is essential for stabilizing metal sites below 2 nm, such as metal single atoms (M1) or metal clusters (Mn). However, further optimizing metal sites below 3 nm to break the activity-stability trade-off caused by excessive interactions remains a major challenge.
Paper highlights/abstract
This paper proposes for the first time to synergize SMSI with reactive metal-support interaction (RMSI) to overcome the above challenges. Comprehensive characterization confirms that SMSI can stabilize metals in the sub-2 nm range and regulate the controllable aggregation of Ni1 to Nin sites. At the same time, RMSI regulates Nin by fully activating P in the support and ultimately generates sub-2 nm metal phosphide Ni2P clusters (Ni2Pn). The synergistic effect between the metal and the support triggers the adaptive coordination and electronic structure optimization of Ni2Pn, resulting in ideal substrate adsorption-desorption kinetics. As a result, the activity of Ni2Pn in the selective hydrogenation of p-chloronitrobenzene and alkynols is greatly improved. The formation rates of the target products were 20.2 and 3.0 times higher than those of the Ni1 and Nin sites, respectively. This work may open up a new direction for metal-support interactions and promote the innovation and application of active sites below 3 nm.
The magnetic reactor used by Professor Zhang Ying’s research group in the experiment was provided by Kemi Instrument. Anhui Kemi Instrument Co., Ltd. was also specifically mentioned in the paper. I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the professor for his choice and recognition of Kemi Instruments.
