Heterogeneous Brønsted acid catalysts are tremendously important in industry, particularly in catalytic cracking processes. Here we show that these Brønsted acid sites can be directly observed at natural abundance by O DNP surface-enhanced NMR spectroscopy (SENS). We additionally show that the O-H bond length in these catalysts can be measured with sub-picometer precision, to enable a direct structural gauge of the lability of protons in a given material, which is correlated with the pH of the zero point of charge of the material. Experiments performed on materials impregnated with pyridine also allow for the direct detection of intermolecular hydrogen bonding interactions through the lengthening of O-H bonds.

Solid-state NMR spectroscopy, both conventional and dynamic nuclear polarization (DNP)-enhanced, was employed to study the spatial distribution of organic functional groups attached to the surface of mesoporous silica nanoparticles via co-condensation and grafting. The most revealing information was provided by DNP-enhanced two-dimensional Si-Si correlation measurements, which unambiguously showed that post-synthesis grafting leads to a more homogeneous dispersion of propyl and mercaptopropyl functionalities than co-condensation. During the anhydrous grafting process, the organosilane precursors do not self-condense and are unlikely to bond to the silica surface in close proximity (less than 4 Å) due to the limited availability of suitably arranged hydroxyl groups.

The hydroboration of aldehydes and ketones using a silica-supported zirconium catalyst is reported. Reaction of Zr(NMe2)4 and mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSN) provides the catalytic material Zr(NMe2)n@MSN. Exhaustive characterization of Zr(NMe2)n@MSN with solid-state (SS)NMR and infrared spectroscopy, as well as through reactivity studies, suggests its surface structure is primarily ≡SiOZr(NMe2)3. The presence of these nitrogen-containing zirconium sites is supported by 15N NMR spectroscopy, including natural abundance 15N NMR measurements using dynamic nuclear polarization (DNP) SSNMR. The Zr(NMe2)n@MSN material reacts with pinacolborane (HBpin) to provide Me2NBpin and the material ZrH/Bpin@MSN that is composed of interacting surface-bonded zirconium hydride and surface-bonded borane ≡SiOBpin moieties in an approximately 1:1 ratio, as well as zirconium sites coordinated by dimethylamine. The ZrH/Bpin@MSN is characterized by 1H/2H and 11B SSNMR and infrared spectroscopy and through its reactivity with D2. The zirconium hydride material or the zirconium amide precursor Zr(NMe2)n@MSN catalyzes the selective hydroboration of aldehydes and ketones with HBpin in the presence of functional groups that are often reduced under hydroboration conditions or are sensitive to metal hydrides, including olefins, alkynes, nitro groups, halides, and ethers. Remarkably, this catalytic material may be recycled without loss of activity at least eight times, and air-exposed materials are catalytically active. Thus, these supported zirconium centers are robust catalytic sites for carbonyl reduction and that surface-supported, catalytically reactive zirconium hydride may be generated from zirconium-amide or zirconium alkoxide sites. ABSTRACT: The hydroboration of aldehydes and ketones using a silica-supported zirconium catalyst is reported. Reaction of Zr(NMe 2 ) 4 and mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSN) provides the catalytic material Zr(NMe 2 ) n @MSN. Exhaustive characterization of Zr(NMe 2 ) n @MSN with solidstate (SS)NMR and infrared spectroscopy, as well as through reactivity studies, suggests its surface structure is primarily  SiOZr(NMe 2 ) 3 . The presence of these nitrogen-containing zirconium sites is supported by 15 N NMR spectroscopy, including natural abundance 15

A series of homoleptic rare-earth silazido compounds and their silica-grafted derivatives were prepared to compare spectroscopic and catalytic features under homogeneous and interfacial conditions. Trivalent tris-(silazido) compounds Ln{N(SiHMe 2 )tBu} 3 (Ln = Sc (1), Y (2), Lu (3)) are prepared in high yield by salt metathesis reactions. Solution-phase and solid-state characterization of 1− 3 by NMR and IR spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction reveals Ln↼H−Si interactions. These features are retained in solventcoordinated 2·Et 2 O, 2·THF, and 3·THF. The change in spectroscopic features characterizing the secondary interactions (ν SiH , 1 J SiH ) from the unactivated SiH in the silazane HN(SiHMe 2 )tBu follows the trend 3 > 2 > 1 ≈ 2·Et 2 O > 2·THF ≈ 3· THF. Ligand lability follows the same pattern, with Et 2 O readily dissociating from 2·Et 2 O while THF is displaced only during surface grafting reactions. 1 and 2·THF graft onto mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSN) to give Ln{N(SiHMe 2 )tBu} n @MSN (Ln = Sc (1@MSN), Y (2@MSN)) along with THF and protonated silazido as HN(SiHMe 2 )tBu and H 2 NtBu. The surface species are characterized by multinuclear and multidimensional solid-state (SS) NMR spectroscopic techniques, as well as diffuse reflectance FTIR, elemental analysis, and reaction stoichiometry. A key 1 J SiH SSNMR measurement reveals that the grafted sites most closely resemble Ln·THF adducts, suggesting that siloxane coordination occurs in grafted compounds. These species catalyze the hydroamination/bicyclization of aminodialkenes, and both solution-phase and interfacial conditions provide the bicyclized product with equivalent cis:trans ratios. Similar diastereoselectivities mediated by catalytic sites under the two conditions suggest similar effective environments.

Modification of the surface of ceria with phosphates leads to acid/redox active materials that can serve as non-innocent supports for Pd-catalyzed hydrogenolysis of lignin model compounds.

Nanoconfinement imposes physical constraints and chemical effects on reactivity in nanoporous catalyst systems. In the present study, we lay the groundwork for quantitative single-molecule measurements of the effects of chemical environment on heterogeneous catalysis in nanoconfinement. Choosing hydrophobicity as an exemplary chemical environmental factor, we compared a range of essential parameters for an oxidation reaction on platinum nanoparticles (NPs) confined in hydrophilic and hydrophobic nanopores. Single-molecule experimental measurements at the single particle level showed higher catalytic activity, stronger adsorption strength, and higher activation energy in hydrophobic nanopores than those in hydrophilic nanopores. Interestingly, different dissociation kinetic behaviors of the product molecules in the two types of nanopores were deduced from the singlemolecule imaging data.

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Single-site organolanthanum complexes supported on mesoporous silica nanoparticles, La{C(SiHMe2)3}n@MSNs, catalyze the ring-opening hydroboration reaction of aliphatic and styrenic epoxides with pinacolborane (HBpin). The surface-bound complexes, synthesized by reaction of the homoleptic tris(alkyl)lanthanum La{C(SiHMe2)3}3 and SBA-type MSN treated at 700 °C (MSN700), are mostly monopodal ≡SiO-La{C(SiHMe2)3}2 and contain an average of one bridging La↼H-Si per alkyl ligand. This structure was established through a combination of solid-state NMR (SSNMR) experiments, including J-resolved SiH coupling and quantitative 29Si measurements, diffuse reflectance IR, and elemental analysis. These rigorous analyses also established that grafting reactions in pentane provide a preponderance of ≡SiO-La{C(SiHMe2)3}2 sites and are superior to those in benzene and THF, and that grafting onto MSN treated at 550 °C (MSN550) results in a mixture of surface species. The single-site supported catalysts are more selective and in most cases more active than the homogeneous analogue, allow easy purification of products from the catalyst, are strongly resistant to leaching into solution phase, and may be recycled for reuse at least five times. After reaction of La{C(SiHMe2)3}n@MSN and HBpin, species including ≡SiO-La{C(SiHMe2)3}(H2Bpin) and ≡SiO-La{C(SiHMe2)3}{κ2-pinB-O(CMe2)2OBH3} are identified by detailed 1D and 2D 11B SSNMR experiments.ABSTRACT: Single-site organolanthanum complexes supported on mesoporous silica nanoparticles, La{C(SiHMe2)3}n@MSNs, catalyze the ring-opening hydroboration reaction of aliphatic and styrenic epoxides with pinacolborane (HBpin). The surface-bound complexes, synthesized by reaction of the homoleptic tris(alkyl)lanthanum La{C(SiHMe2)3}3 and SBA-type MSNs treated at 700 °C (MSN700), are mostly monopodal ≡SiO-La{C(SiHMe2)3}2 and contain an average of one bridging La↼H-Si per alkyl ligand. This structure was established through a combination of solid-state NMR (SSNMR) experiments, including J-resolved SiH coupling and quantitative 29 Si measurements, diffuse reflectance IR, and elemental analysis. These rigorous analyses also established that grafting reactions in pentane provide a preponderance of ≡SiO-La{C(SiHMe2)3}2 sites and are superior to those in benzene and THF, and that grafting onto MSN treated at 550 °C (MSN550) results in a mixture of surface species. The single-site supported catalysts are more selective and in most cases more active as the homogeneous analogue, allow easy purification of products from the catalyst, are strongly resistant to leaching into solution phase, and may be recycled for reuse at least five times. After reaction of La{C(SiHMe2)3}n@MSN and HBpin, species including ≡SiO-La{C(SiHMe2)3}(H2Bpin) and ≡SiO-La{C(SiHMe2)3}{κ 2 -pinB-O(CMe2)2OBH3} are identified by detailed 1D and 2D 11 B SSNMR experiments. AUTHOR INFORMATION Corresponding Authors