Decarbonylation, supported metal nanoclusters

An alternative to this physical method of preparing structurally uniform metal clusters on supports involves chemistry by which molecular metal carbonyl clusters (e.g., [Rh6(CO)i6]) serve as precursors on the support. These precursors are decarbonylated with maintenance of the metal frame to give supported nanoclusters (e.g., Rh6). Advantages of this chemical preparation method are its applicability to many porous supports, such as zeolites (and not just planar surfaces) and the opportunities to use spectroscopic methods to follow the chemistry of synthesis of the precursor on the support and its subsequent decarbonylation. Zeolites, because their molecular-scale cages are part of a regular (crystalline) structure, offer the prospect of regular three-dimensional arrays of nanoclusters. 

Supported nanoclusters have been prepared by decarbonylation of neutral or anionic metal carbonyl clusters on supports. The decarbonylation chemistry is not fully understood. The chemistry accompanying removal of the CO ligands from metal carbonyl clusters on metal oxides evidently involves hydroxyl groups or water on the surface of the metal oxide. 

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