Carbon monoxide addition reactions with clusters, metal cluster

Beyer and coworkers later extended these reactions to platinum clusters Ptn and have demonstrated that similar reaction sequences for the oxidation of carbon monoxide can occur with larger clusters [70]. In addition, they were able to demonstrate poisoning effects as a function of surface coverage and cluster size. A related sequence for Pt anions was proposed by Shi and Ervin who employed molecular oxygen rather than N2O as the oxidant [71]. Further, the group of Bohme has screened the mononuclear cations of almost the entire transition metal block for this particular kind of oxidation catalysis [72,73]. Another catalytic system has been proposed by Waters et al. in which a dimolybdate anion cluster brings about the oxidation of methanol to formaldehyde with nitromethane, however, a rather unusual terminal oxidant was employed [74]. 

With respect to the thermodynamic stability of metal clusters, there is a plethora of results which support the spherical Jellium model for the alkalis as well as for other metals, like copper. This appears to be the case for cluster reactivity, at least for etching reactions, where electronic structure dominates reactivity and minor anomalies are attributable to geometric influence. These cases, however, illustrate a situation where significant addition or diminution of valence electron density occurs via loss or gain of metal atoms. A small molecule, like carbon monoxide,... 

The search for new reactivity and new reactions is an important target in homogeneous catalysis. A declared goal is the selective activation of C-H bonds under mild conditions. Although there are numerous examples of stoichiometric C-H bond oxidative additions to transition metal centers, successful examples regarding catalytic functionalization of C-H bonds have been made only during the last five years. Notable advances have been achieved by Moore and coworkers who described in 1992 the ortAo-acylation of pyridine with olefins and carbon monoxide. The cluster compound triruthenium dodecacarbonyl has been used as catalyst (Scheme 10). 

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