Issue 48, 2016

An unusual co-crystal [(μ2-dcpm)Ag22-O2CH)(η2-NO3)]2·[(μ2-dcpm)2Ag42-NO3)4] and its connection to the selective decarboxylation of formic acid in the gas phase

Abstract

ESI/MS of an acetonitrile solution containing a mixture of AgNO3 :  bis(dicyclohexylphosphino)methane (dcpm, L) : NaO2CH in a molar ratio of 2 : 1 : 1 gave an abundant peak due to [LAg2(O2CH)]+ and a minor peak assigned as [L2Ag4(O2CH)3]+. When this acetonitrile solution was frozen and layered with diethyl ether and left undisturbed for six days, crystalline material suitable for X-ray crystallography was identified and separated from amorphous solids. Single crystal X-ray diffraction revealed an unusual co-crystal consisting of two discrete tetranuclear silver clusters [(μ2-dcpm)Ag22-O2CH)(η2-NO3)]2·[(μ2-dcpm)2Ag42-NO3)4]. While all of the coordinated formates in [LAg2(O2CH)]+ and [L2Ag4(O2CH)3]+ can be decarboxylated in the gas-phase under conditions of collision induced dissociation, only the hydride [LAg2(H)]+ thus formed reacts with formic acid via protonation and liberation of H2 to regenerate to formate, thereby closing a catalytic cycle for the selective decomposition of formic acid.

Graphical abstract: An unusual co-crystal [(μ2-dcpm)Ag2(μ2-O2CH)(η2-NO3)]2·[(μ2-dcpm)2Ag4(μ2-NO3)4] and its connection to the selective decarboxylation of formic acid in the gas phase

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
23 Sep 2016
Accepted
14 Nov 2016
First published
24 Nov 2016
This article is Open Access
Creative Commons BY license

Dalton Trans., 2016,45, 19408-19415

An unusual co-crystal [(μ2-dcpm)Ag22-O2CH)(η2-NO3)]2·[(μ2-dcpm)2Ag42-NO3)4] and its connection to the selective decarboxylation of formic acid in the gas phase

A. Zavras, J. M. White and R. A. J. O'Hair, Dalton Trans., 2016, 45, 19408 DOI: 10.1039/C6DT03700C

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