Cu/O Frustrated Lewis Pairs on Cu Doped CeO2(111) for Acetylene Hydrogenation: A First-Principles Study

In this work, the H2 dissociation and acetylene hydrogenation on Cu doped CeO2(111) were studied using density functional theory calculations. The results indicated that Cu doping promotes the formation of oxygen vacancy (Ov) which creates Cu/O and Ce/O frustrated Lewis pairs (FLPs). With the help of Cu/O FLP, H2 dissociation can firstly proceed via a heterolytic mechanism to produce Cu-H and O-H by overcoming a barrier of 0.40 eV. The H on Cu can facilely migrate to a nearby oxygen to form another O-H species with a barrier of 0.43 eV. The rate-determining barrier is lower than that for homolytic dissociation of H2 which produces two O-H species. C2H2 hydrogenation can proceed with a rate-determining barrier of 1.00 eV at the presence of Cu-H and O-H species., While C2H2 can be catalyzed by two O-H groups with a rate-determining barrier of 1.06 eV, which is significantly lower than that (2.86 eV) of C2H2 hydrogenated by O-H groups on the bare CeO2(111), showing the high activity of Cu doped CeO2(111) for acetylene hydrogenation. In addition, the rate-determining barrier of C2H4 further hydrogenated by two O-H groups is 1.53 eV, much higher than its desorption energy (0.72 eV), suggesting the high selectivity of Cu doped CeO2(111) for C2H2 partial hydrogenation. This provides new insights to develop effective hydrogenation catalysts based on metal oxide.

Hydrogenation of cage-opened C60 derivatives mediated by frustrated Lewis pairs

Multiply-carbonylated fullerene derivatives were found to work as one component in frustrated Lewis pairs which caused an Si–H bond activation in the presence of B(C6F5)3, leading to the carbonyl hydrogenation in up to 99% yield.

Dinitrogen-derived (diarylboryl)diazenido Complexes with Differing Coordination to the Thallium Cation

To prepare N2-derived cationic boryldiazenido-tungsten complexes as models of semimetallic metal-borinium frustrated Lewis pairs activating N2, we have attempted halide abstraction from trans-(diarylboryl)diazenido-halo-tungsten complexes. Reactions with Tl+ led to adducts...

Covalent Organic Frameworks Anchored with Frustrated Lewis Pairs for Hydrogenation of Alkynes with H2

Frustrated Lewis Paris (FLPs) chemistry has been widely explored in the field of catalytic hydrogenation. However, the FLPs, which was usually used as homogeneous catalysts, quickly lost their catalytic reactivity...

Hydrogenation of Olefins, Alkynes, Allenes, and Arenes by Borane-based Frustrated Lewis Pairs

In recent years, borane-based frustrated Lewis pairs proved to be efficient hydrogenation catalysts and became an alternative to transition metal-based systems. The hydrogen activation by classic FLPs leads to a protonated Lewis base and a borohydride. Consequently, hydrogenations catalyzed by classic FLPs consist of stepwise hydride transfer reactions and protonations (or vice versa). More recently, systems that operate via an initial hydroboration have allowed extending the substrate scope for FLP catalyzed hydrogenations. Within this review, hydrogenations of organic substrates catalyzed by borane-based frustrated Lewis pairs are discussed. Emphasis is given to the mechanistic aspects of these catalytic reactions.