Metal Clusters and Nanomaterials an Overview

Open Butterfly Closed Tetrahedron Catalytically active Inactive 

Inorganic Mirr /Mi Mo orou.s MatiTiiils Mifr -reaft rs 

2 Ship-in-a-bottle synthesis of metal clusters in micropores 

Various types of zeolites referred to as Faujacite (NaY, NaX), Mordenite, ZSM-5 and ALPO-5 are aluminosilicate and aluminophosphate crystals consisting of mi-croporous cages of molecular dimensions (5-12 A) which are interconnected by smaller windows and channels, as is represented in Fig. 2. Such micropores can be used as ultimate nanometer-sized reaction vessels , providing a template for synthesizing nanomaterials such as selected metal clusters and nanoparticles which may fit the interior cages. Such bulky carbonyl clusters as Rh6(CO)i6 (van der Waals diameter of 10 A) and [Pti2(CO)24] (8 x 12 A) are unable to enter directly into the pores of NaY (12 A) through its smaller windows (6 A). 

Nevertheless, Rh6(CO)ie, for example, can be synthesized and encapsulated in the cages by the successive carbonylation reactions of precursor Rh ions with CO -1- H2 

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Ichikawa, M. (1999) Metal clusters and nanomaterials an overview, in Metal Clusters in Chemistry (eds P. Braunstein, LA. Oro and P.R. Raithby), Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH, Weinheim, p. 1273. 

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