Controllable Encapsulation of "Clean" Metal Clusters within MOFs through Kinetic Modulation: Towards Advanced Heterogeneous Nanocatalysts

• Published in: Angewandte Chemie (International ed.) Vol. 55; no. 16; pp. 5019 - 5023
• Main Authors: Liu, Hongli, Chang, Lina, Bai, Cuihua, Chen, Liyu, Luque, Rafael, Li, Yingwei
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Germany Blackwell Publishing Ltd 11.04.2016; Wiley Subscription Services, Inc; John Wiley and Sons Inc
• Edition: International ed. in English
• Subjects: Communication; Communications; encapsulation; heterogeneous catalysis; metal clusters; metal-organic frameworks; platinum; encapsulation; platinum; heterogeneous catalysis; metal clusters; metal-organic frameworks
• ISSN: 1433-7851; 1521-3773
• DOI: 10.1002/anie.201511009

Surfactant‐free tiny Pt clusters were successfully encapsulated within MOFs with controllable size and spatial distribution by a novel kinetically modulated one‐step strategy. Our synthesis relies on the rational manipulation of the reduction rate of Pt ions and/or the growth rate of MOFs by using H2 as assistant reducing agent and/or acetic acid as MOF‐formation modulator. The as‐prepared Pt@MOF core–shell composites exhibited exceedingly high activity and excellent selectivity in the oxidation of alcohols as a result of the ultrafine “clean” Pt clusters, as well as interesting molecular‐sieving effects derived from the outer platinum‐free MOF shell. Small and alone: Surfactant‐free Pt clusters were encapsulated within metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) by a kinetically modulated one‐step strategy (see picture). The resulting Pt@MOF core–shell composites exhibited high activity and selectivity in the oxidation of alcohols as well as interesting molecular‐sieving effects of the outer Pt‐free MOF shell.