Internal structure of nanoparticles of Al generated by laser ablation in liquid ethanol

Al NPs are synthesized by laser ablation of a bulk Al target immersed into liquid ethanol saturated with hydrogen at atmospheric pressure. The nanoparticles possess a well-distinguished core-shell structure. High Resolution Transmission Electron Microscopy shows several layers inside the Al nanoparticle: oxide layer, amorphous Al, single crystal Al, and a cavity in the center. Formation of the cavity is attributed to the sharp increase of hydrogen dissolution in Al upon its melting and its eventual release after the solidification

Catalysis to discriminate single atoms from subnanometric ruthenium particles in ultra-high loading catalysts

We report a procedure for preparing ulta-high metal loading (10-20 % w/w Ru) Ru@C60 nanostructured catalysts comprising exclusively Ru single atoms. We show that by changing the Ru/C60 ratio and the nature of the solvent used during the synthesis, it is possible to increase the Ru loading up to 50% w/w, and to produce hetero-structures containing subnanometric Ru nanoparticles. Several techniques such as high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), scanning transmission electron microscopy – high angle annular dark field (STEM-HAADF), Raman spectroscopy, wideangle X-ray scattering (WAXS), extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) together with theoretical calculations were used to characterize these materials. At such high metal loading, the distinction between Ru single atoms and clusters is not trivial, even with this combination of techniques. We evaluated the catalytic properties of these materials for the hydrogenation of nitrobenzene and 2,3-dimethyl-2-butene. The catalysts containing only Ru single atoms are much less active for these reactions than the ones containing clusters. For nitrobenzene hydrogenation, this is because electro-deficient Ru single atoms and few atom Run clusters are not performant for H2 activation compared to larger clusters (n ≥ 13), as shown by density functional theory (DFT) calculations. For the more crowded substrate 2,3-dimethyl-2-butene, DFT calculations have shown that this is due to steric hindrance. These simple tests can thus been used to distinguish samples containing metallic sub-nanometer nanoparticles. These novel catalysts are also extremely active for the hydrogenation of -substituted 2,3-dimethyl-2-butene

Antischistosomal Activity of Trioxaquines: In Vivo Efficacy and Mechanism of Action on Schistosoma mansoni

Schistosomiasis is among the most neglected tropical diseases, since its mode of spreading tends to limit the contamination to people who are in contact with contaminated waters in endemic countries. Here we report the in vitro and in vivo anti-schistosomal activities of trioxaquines. These hybrid molecules are highly active on the larval forms of the worms and exhibit different modes of action, not only the alkylation of heme. The synergy observed with praziquantel on infected mice is in favor of the development of these trioxaquines as potential anti-schistosomal agents

Platinum N-heterocyclic carbene nanoparticles as new and effective catalysts for the selective hydrogenation of nitroaromatics

In this communication, we report the first synthesis of Pt NPs stabilized with NHC ligands and their investigation as catalysts in the chemoselective hydrogenation of nitroarenes. The results in catalysis show that by a proper choice of the NHC stabilizer and the adjustment of the NHC/metal ratio, these NHC-capped Pt NPs exhibit high levels of activity and selectivity in the hydrogenation reactions. In particular, Pt NPs stabilized with 2 equiv. of IPr carbene (PtIPr0.2) catalyze the chemoselective reduction of a series of functionalized nitroarenes under mild conditions (1 bar H2, 30 °C). This catalyst tolerates the presence of a range of functional groups including hydroxyl, benzyloxy, carbonyl and olefinic moeities as well as halogens. Copyright © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.Peer Reviewe

Synthesis of supported FeNi nanocatalysts by an organometallic route

International audienc

Synthesis of supported FeNi nanocatalysts by an organometallic route

International audienc

Synthesis and Study of the Physicochemical Properties of a Hybrid Species: Iron Phthalocyanine–Silver Nanoparticles

International audienceThis article reports a strategy to synthesize a hybrid species made of iron phthalocyanine (FePc) grafted to the surface of silver nanoparticles. The affinity between sulfur and silver on the one hand, and the aptitude of the FePc complex to bind pyridine axially on the other, allowed us to use thiopyridine as a linker between the two entities. The hybrid species, isolated in the solid form for the first time, has been characterized by optical and vibrational spectroscopy, and by transmission electron microscopy. These studies confirm the good aptitude of the linker to connect the FePc to the silver nanoparticles

Synthesis of NiFeOx nanocatalysts from metal–organic precursors for the oxygen evolution reaction

International audienceProduction of hydrogen from a renewable source that is water requires the development of sustainable catalytic processes. This implies, among others, developing efficient catalytic materials from abundant and low-cost resources and investigating their performance, especially in the oxidation of water as this half-reaction is the bottleneck of the water splitting process. For this purpose, NiFe-based nanoparticles with sizes ca. 3–4 nm have been synthesized by an organometallic approach and characterized by complementary techniques (WAXS, TEM, STEM-HAADF, EDX, XPS, and ATR-FTIR). They display a Ni core and a mixed Ni–Fe oxide shell. Once deposited onto FTO electrodes, they have been assessed in the electrocatalytic oxygen evolution reaction under alkaline conditions. Three different Ni/Fe ratios (2/1, 1/1 and 1/9) have been studied in comparison with their monometallic counterparts. The Ni2Fe1 nanocatalyst displayed the lowest overpotential (320 mV at j = 10 mA cm−2) as well as excellent stability over 16 h