Atomically precise bimetallic metal ensembles with tailorable synergistic effects

Abstract

The large-scale synthesis of supported multinuclear catalysts with controllable metal nuclearity and constituent composition remains a formidable challenge. We report the stepwise assembly of supported atom-precise bimetallic ligand-mediated metal ensembles (LMMEs) by exploiting the underlying principles of coordination chemistry and solid-state chemistry. Lewis di-basic 2-methylimidazole is used to bridge multiple Cu2+ and M2+ (M = Co, Ni, Cu, and Zn) ions within ZSM-5 zeolites. We observe the metal constituent composition of the LMMEs by mass spectroscopy. The adjacent metal nuclei in the LMMEs offer substantial synergistic effects that enhance the catalytic performance by at least an order of magnitude in the model catalytic “click” reaction. It is envisaged that this stepwise assembly approach to develop supported multinuclear catalysts with atom precision could effectively bridge homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysis.