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Ligand-Free Sub-Nanometer Metal Clusters in Catalysis

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Recent Advances in Nanoparticle Catalysis

Part of the book series: Molecular Catalysis ((MOLCAT,volume 1))

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Abstract

Recent advances in the synthesis and characterization of ligand-free sub-nanometer metal clusters, either in solution or supported on solids, have enabled their rational use as catalysts in new reactions. These clusters expose all their metal atoms to outer molecules without the potential steric/electronic interferences of ligands, while, at the same time, show defined molecular orbitals to ultimately control the catalytic reaction. Therefore, these clusters somehow combine the advantages of single atom and metal nanoparticles for molecular activation and catalysis. This chapter aims at describing how to prepare, better characterize and apply, on a realistic scale, ligand-free sub-nanometer metal clusters for catalytic processes (many of them of industrial interest) during the last ten years.

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  1. Instituto de Tecnología Química (UPV–CSIC), Universitat Politècnica de València–Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Avda. de Los Naranjos s/n, 46022, València, Spain

    Judit Oliver–Meseguer & Antonio Leyva–Pérez

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  1. LPCNO, Institut National des Sciences Appliquées de Toulouse, Toulouse, France

    Piet W.N.M. van Leeuwen

  2. Departament de Química Física i Inorgànica, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Tarragona, Spain

    Carmen Claver

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Oliver–Meseguer, J., Leyva–Pérez, A. (2020). Ligand-Free Sub-Nanometer Metal Clusters in Catalysis. In: van Leeuwen, P., Claver, C. (eds) Recent Advances in Nanoparticle Catalysis. Molecular Catalysis, vol 1. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-45823-2_1

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