Preparation of Rh-containing polycarbonate films and the study of their chemical properties in the polymer

RhCl[P(C 6 H 5 ) 3 ] 3 complexes have been incorporated in polycarbonate (PC) as a dispersion medium using cosolvent (THF). The interactions between Rh(I) complexes and polycarbonate polymer molecules are studied by infrared spectroscopy and thermal analysis. The reaction chemistry of Rh in PC films has been investigated by reacting Rh sites in PC with small gaseous molecules like CO, H 2 , D 2 , O 2 , NO, C 2 H 2 , and C 2 H 4 in the temperature range 25∼150°C. Various Rh–carbonyls, –hydride, –nitrosyl, and –superoxo dioxygen species formed in PC films are characterized by infrared spectroscopy. The Rh complexes in PC are easily reduced by reacting them with H 2 gas and such reduction results in the formation of small Rh metal particles of 20∼30 A in diameter in PC. The Rh complexes in PC show interesting catalytic reactivities such as hydrogenation of olefin and acetylene, oxidation of CO, reduction of NO, methanol synthesis from CO or CO 2, and oxidation of alcohol under relatively mild conditions.