Proof of the Catalytic Activity of a Naked Metal Cluster in the Gas Phase

Abstract

An experiment with five steps within a mass spectrometer (labeled MSn) showed that in the gas phase the naked Fe 4+ ion forms the molecule C6H6, probably benzene, from ethene via [Fe4(C2H2)m]+ complexes (m = 1–4), and thus acts as a catalytic center. The MS1–MS5 steps of the complex experiment are sketched below. CID = collision‐induced deactivation, a = isolation, m = 1–3.

Kohn–Sham density-functional study of the formation of benzene from acetylene on iron clusters, Fe/Fen+ (n=1–4)

“…They have demonstrated that benzene could be formed from ethylene under hydrogen abstraction and from cyclopropane on Fe 4 ϩ . [1][2][3][4] The formation of benzene has also been observed in the gas phase from acetylene on Fe ϩ and from ethylene on W ϩ and U ϩ . [5][6][7][8][9] Various hypotheses have been formulated to explain what is going on, but a detailed mechanism is not available yet.…”

Gas-phase kinetics and catalytic reactions of small silver and gold clusters

“…The first investigations on the catalytic activity of metal cluster ions have been carried out in an ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometer by Irion and co-workers [56]. They demonstrated the conversion of ethylene to benzene by Fe 4 + cluster cations.…”

Direct Conversion of Methane with Carbon Dioxide Mediated by RhVO3−Cluster Anions

“…Taking into account that the rate of CO dissociation from RhVO 3 CO À is rather low at the highest temperature (ca. 600 K; Supporting Information, Table S6) that was accessible in our experiment, the collision-induced dissociation (CID) technique that had been extensively employed to establish catalytic reactions relevant with other small molecules [18] was employed to regenerate RhVO 3 À cluster.T he CID experiments of massselected RhVO 3 CO À anions with Ar in the collision cell under single collision conditions characterized two new product ions of RhVO 3 À and VO 3 À ,c orresponding to the elimination of CO and RhCO,r espectively ( Supporting Information, Figure S6):…”