Metal clusters in polymers

In order to prepare metal clusters in polymer templates, the interface between both materials has to be stabilized sufficiently. According to the HSAB concept, metals mostly are soft acids and it should therefore be possible to stabilize them well with soft bases. Thus polymer blocks functionalized with N-, S-, or P-lig-ands are applied. Labile metal complexes with hard bases (chlorides, acetates) serve as precursor materials which, by complexing with softer ligands, can be solubilized into the polymer templates. There must not be too strong complexing between the precursor and the ligand as otherwise there will be no further reaction to the elementary metal. 

Troger, L., Hunnefeld, H., Nunes, S., Oehring, M., and Fritsch, D., Structural characterization of catalytically active metal clusters in polymer membranes, Z. Phys. D, 40,81-83 (1997). 

Contact-free dispersion of noble metal clusters in polymer can be also used as nonporous catal5d ic membranes (93-95). Traditionally, nonporous catalsdic separation layers are composed of palladium or palladium alloy foils. Reduction in... 

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