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We synthesized isolated Cr(III) sites on SiO2â'Al2O3 and Al2O3 by grafting and subsequent controlled thermal treatment of Cr(OSi(OtBu)3)3(THF)2 and Cr(Al(OiPr)4)3 on alumina. CrO x /Al2O3 was obtained from incipient wetness impregnation of Al2O3 with CrO3 in H2O followed by calcination, as carried out for the synthesis of industrial Cr-based dehydrogenation catalysts. These materials were characterized by IR, EPR, XAS, and by the adsorption of the probe molecules CO and pyridine, and the results were compared to previously reported isolated Cr(III)/SiO2. All of these materials were active in propane dehydrogenation at 550 °C, where higher TOFs were obtained for Cr(III)/SiO2-Al2O3 and Cr(III)/Al2O3 than for CrO x /Al2O3 and Cr(III)/SiO2. For mechanistic studies the reverse reaction, propene hydrogenation, was studied. Here, the order of reactivity was opposite that of dehydrogenation, with CrO x /Al2O3 and Cr(III)/SiO2 being more active in hydrogenation than Cr(III)/SiO2-Al2O3 and Cr(III)/Al2O3. Kinetic analysis and labeling studies with D2 showed that the rate law is in all cases first order in H2 partial pressure but had different dependence on propene partial pressure from catalyst to catalyst. We found small normal kinetic isotope effects of 1 ≤ KIE ≤ 2, activation enthalpies up to 40 kJ mol-1, and large negative activation entropies between â'100 and â'194 J K-1 mol-1 for the different Cr catalysts. We also performed parahydrogen-induced polarization (PHIP) experiments, which showed that H2 addition to propene proceeds, at least in part, via a pairwise mechanism. The experimental data for propene hydrogenation suggests adsorption/desorption pre-equilibria of H2 (or D2) and propene followed by H2 activation and insertion of propene. DFT computations for propane dehydrogenation and propene hydrogenation on Cr(III) on a periodic alumina model show that a mechanism involving X-H activation (X = R, H) is energetically feasible with activation enthalpies and entropies that are comparable to the experimentally determined values. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We describe the reactivity of well-defined chromium silicates toward ethylene and propane. The initial motivation for this study was to obtain a molecular understanding of the Phillips polymerization catalyst. The Phillips catalyst contains reduced chromium sites on silica and catalyzes the polymerization of ethylene without activators or a preformed Cr-C bond. CrII sites are commonly proposed active sites in this catalyst. We synthesized and characterized well-defined chromium(II) silicates and found that these materials, slightly contaminated with a minor amount of CrIII sites, have poor polymerization activity and few active sites. In contrast, chromium(III) silicates have 1 order of magnitude higher activity. The chromium(III) silicates initiate polymerization by the activation of a C-H bond of ethylene. Density functional theory analysis of this process showed that the C-H bond activation step is heterolytic and corresponds to a s-bond metathesis type process. The same well-defined chromium(III) silicate catalyzes the dehydrogenation of propane at elevated temperatures with activities similar to those of a related industrial chromium-based catalyst. This reaction also involves a key heterolytic C-H bond activation step similar to that described for ethylene but with a significantly higher energy barrier. The higher energy barrier is consistent with the higher pKa of the C-H bond in propane compared to the C-H bond in ethylene. In both cases, the rate-determining step is the heterolytic C-H bond activation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The insertion of an olefin into a preformed metal-carbon bond is a common mechanism for transition-metal-catalyzed olefin polymerization. However, in one important industrial catalyst, the Phillips catalyst, a metal-carbon bond is not present in the precatalyst. The Phillips catalyst, CrO3 dispersed on silica, polymerizes ethylene without an activator. Despite 60 years of intensive research, the active sites and the way the first CrC bond is formed remain unknown. We synthesized well-defined dinuclear CrII and CrIII sites on silica. Whereas the CrII material was a poor polymerization catalyst, the CrIII material was active. Poisoning studies showed that about 65 % of the CrIII sites were active, a far higher proportion than typically observed for the Phillips catalyst. Examination of the spent catalyst and isotope labeling experiments showed the formation of a Si-(μ-OH)-CrIII species, consistent with an initiation mechanism involving the heterolytic activation of ethylene at CrIIIO bonds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transfers of multiple electrons and protons are challenging yet central to many energy-conversion processes and other chemical and biochemical reactions. Semiconducting oxides can hold multiple redox equivalents. This study describes the 2e - /2H + transfer reactivity of photoreduced ZnO and TiO 2 nanoparticle (NP) colloids with molecular 2e - /2H + acceptors, to form new O-H, N-H, and C-H bonds. The reaction stoichiometries were monitored by NMR and optical spectroscopies. Faster 2e - /2H + transfer rates were observed for substrates forming O-H or N-H bonds, presumably due to initial hydrogen bonding at the oxide surface. Chemically reduced ZnO NPs stabilized by Na + or Ca 2+ also engage in 2e - /2H + transfer reactivity, showing that protons transferred in these processes are inherent to the oxide nanoparticles and do not exclusively stem from photoreduction. These results highlight the potential of ZnO and TiO 2 for multiple proton-coupled electron transfer (PCET) reactions.

Many industrial catalysts contain isolated metal sites on the surface of oxide supports. Although such catalysts have been used in a broad range of processes for more than 40 years, there is often a very limited understanding about the structure of the catalytically active sites. This Review discusses how surface organometallic chemistry (SOMC) engineers surface sites with well-defined structures and provides insight into the nature of the active sites of industrial catalysts; the Review focuses in particular on olefin production and conversion processes., (© 2018 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)

The insertion of an olefin into a preformed metal-carbon bond is a common mechanism for transition-metal-catalyzed olefin polymerization. However, in one important industrial catalyst, the Phillips catalyst, a metal-carbon bond is not present in the precatalyst. The Phillips catalyst, CrO3 dispersed on silica, polymerizes ethylene without an activator. Despite 60 years of intensive research, the active sites and the way the first CrC bond is formed remain unknown. We synthesized well-defined dinuclear Cr(II) and Cr(III) sites on silica. Whereas the Cr(II) material was a poor polymerization catalyst, the Cr(III) material was active. Poisoning studies showed that about 65 % of the Cr(III) sites were active, a far higher proportion than typically observed for the Phillips catalyst. Examination of the spent catalyst and isotope labeling experiments showed the formation of a Si-(μ-OH)-Cr(III) species, consistent with an initiation mechanism involving the heterolytic activation of ethylene at Cr(III) O bonds., (Copyright © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)