Surface immobilization, catalysis

Jacobs, P.A. (1997) The Immobilization of Sulfonated Ru-EINAP Chloride by Anion Exchange on Layered Double Hydroxides, Studies in Surface Science Catalysis,... 

The catalyst or the substrate is immobilized (via fixation, functionalization, adsorption, etc.) at the electrode surface (heterogeneous catalysis). 

Surface-modification of meso- and macroporous supports, surface immobilization of oi anometallic catalysts, application in heterogeneous catalysis... 

Immobilization by adsorption onto a surface such as activated carbon or to an ion-exchange resin gives a reversible and relatively weak bond, but this can be sufficient to increase the retention time in a flow system to acceptable levels. Recall Section 10.6 where it is shown that the residence time of an adsorbed species can be much larger than that of the mobile phase, in essence giving more time for catalysis. 

The patterned amine materials have been used to construct CGC-inspired sites that were evaluated in the catalytic polymerization of ethylene after activation with MAO. The complexes assembled on a porous silica surface using this methodology are more active than previously reported materials prepared on densely-loaded amine surfaces. This increased activity further suggests the isolated, unique nature of the metal centers. Work is continuing in our laboratory to further characterize the nature of the active sites, as well as to obtain more detailed kinetic data on the catalysts. The patterning methodology is also being applied to the creation of immobilized catalysts for small molecule reactions, such as Heck and Suzuki catalysis. 

During the catalytic cycle, surface intermediates include both the starting compounds and the surface metal atoms. This working site is a kind of supramolecule that has organometallic character, and, one hopes, the rules of the organometallic chemistry can be valid for this supramolecule. The synthesis of molecular models of these supramolecules makes it possible to study the elementary steps of the heterogeneous catalysis at a molecular level. Besides similarities there are, of course, also differences between the reactivity of a molecular species in solution and an immobilized species. For example, bimo-lecular pathways on surfaces are usually prohibited. 

Layered materials are of special interest for bio-immobilization due to the accessibility of large internal and external surface areas, potential to confine biomolecules within regularly organized interlayer spaces, and processing of colloidal dispersions for the fabrication of protein-clay films for electrochemical catalysis [83-90], These studies indicate that layered materials can serve as efficient support matrices to maintain the native structure and function of the immobilized biomolecules. Current trends in the synthesis of functional biopolymer nano composites based on layered materials (specifically layered double hydroxides) have been discussed in excellent reviews by Ruiz-Hitzky [5] and Duan [6] herein we focus specifically on the fabrication of bio-inorganic lamellar nanocomposites based on the exfoliation and ordered restacking of aminopropyl-functionalized magnesium phyllosilicate (AMP) in the presence of various biomolecules [91]. 

In this communication a study of the catalytic behavior of the immobilized Rhizomucor miehei lipase in the transesterification reaction to biodiesel production has been reported. The main drawbacks associated to the current biodiesel production by basic homogeneous catalysis could be overcome by using immobilized lipases. Immobilization by adsorption and entrapment have been used as methods to prepare the heterogeneous biocatalyst. Zeolites and related materials have been used as inorganic lipase supports. To promote the enzyme adsorption, the surface of the supports have been functionalized by synthesis procedures or by post-treatments. While, the enzyme entrapping procedure has been carried out by sol-gel method in order to obtain the biocatalyst protected by a mesoporous matrix and to reduce its leaching after several catalytic uses. 

Reetz, M.T., Quaiser, S.A., Breinbauer, R., and Tesche, B., A New Strategy in Heterogeneous catalysis the design of cortex catalysts/catalysis/clusters/ immobilization/ surface chemistry, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. Engl., 34, 2728,1995. 

Immobilizing the catalyst on the electrode surface is useful for both synthetic and sensors applications. Monomolecular coatings do not allow redox catalysis, but multilayered coatings do. The catalytic responses are then functions of three main factors in addition to transport of the reactant from the bulk of the solution to the film surface transport of electrons through the film, transport of the reactant in the reverse direction, and catalytic reaction. The interplay of these factors is described with the help of characteristic currents and kinetic zone diagrams. In several systems the mediator plays the role of an electron shuttle and of a catalyst. More interesting are the systems in which the two roles are assigned to two different molecules chosen to fulfill these two different functions, as illustrated by a typical experimental example. 

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