title: Silver nanoparticles supported on passivated silica: preparation and catalytic performance in alkyne semi-hydrogenation.
abstract: Herein, we report the preparation of small and narrowly distributed (2.1 ± 0.5 nm) Ag nanoparticles supported on passivated silica, where the surface OH groups are replaced by OSiMe3 functionalities. This synthetic method involves the grafting of silver(I) bis(trimethylsilyl)amide ([AgN(SiMe3)2]4) on silica partially dehydroxylated at 700 °C, followed by a thermal treatment of the grafted complex under H2. The catalytic performance of this material was investigated in the semi-hydrogenation of propyne and 1-hexyne and compared with that of 2.0 ± 0.3 nm Ag nanoparticles supported on silica. Whilst surface passivation slightly decreases the activity in both reactions (by a factor 2-3), probably as a result of the decreased alkyne adsorption properties or the presence of less accessible active sites on the passivated support, the AgNP@SiO2 catalysts demonstrate a remarkable selectivity for the production of alkenes.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Inorganic Chemistry, Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences, ETH Zürich, Vladimir-Prelog Weg 2, Zürich, Switzerland. ccoperet@inorg.chem.ethz.ch.
authors.forename: Emma
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Oakton
authors.forename: Gianvito
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Vilé
authors.forename: Daniel S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Levine
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Zocher
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Baudouin
authors.forename: Javier
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pérez-Ramírez
authors.forename: Christophe
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Copéret