title: Room-Temperature Reactivity Of Silicon Nanocrystals With Solvents: The Case Of Ketone And Hydrogen Production From Secondary Alcohols: Catalysis?
abstract: Although silicon nanoparticles dispersed in liquids are used in various applications ranging from biolabeling to hydrogen production, their reactivities with their solvents and their catalytic properties remain still unexplored. Here, we discovered that, because of their surface structures and mechanical strain, silicon nanoparticles react strongly with their solvents and may act as catalysts for the dehydrogenation, at room temperature, of secondary alcohols (e.g., isopropanol) into ketones and hydrogen. This catalytic reaction was monitored by gas chromatography, pH measurements, mass spectroscopy, and solid-state NMR. This discovery provides new understanding of the role played by silicon nanoparticles, and nanosilicon in general, in their reactivity in solvents in general, as well as being candidates in catalysis.
authors.affiliation: †Physical Sciences and Engineering Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Jehad K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: El-Demellawi
authors.affiliation: †Physical Sciences and Engineering Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Christopher R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Holt
authors.affiliation: ‡KAUST Catalysis Center, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Edy
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Abou-Hamad
authors.affiliation: §Analytical Core Laboratory, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Zeyad A
authors.initials: ZA
authors.lastname: Al-Talla
authors.affiliation: ‡KAUST Catalysis Center, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Youssef
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Saih
authors.affiliation: †Physical Sciences and Engineering Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Sahraoui
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chaieb
keywords: NMR; alcohol dehydrogenation; heterogenous catalysis; hydrogen production; mass spectroscopy; silicon nanocrystals