Ligand-Tuning of Organometallic Iridium Complexes and Cobalt-Oxide Nanoparticles for Oxidation Catalysis

Catalytic reactions have wide applications in industry. Elaborate and versatile ligand design of metal catalysts can improve performance. Zhou will use his research projects as case studies, to illustrate specifically how ligand-tuning improves catalysts by altering their solubility, thermodynamics and kinetics.

Zhou will first discuss ligand-tuning of (Phebox)Ir^III(X)₂(OH₂) complexes (Phebox = phenylbis(oxazolinyl) pincer ligand; X = acetate or trifluoroacetate ligand), for catalytic C-H oxidation. Switching from acetate to trifluoroacetate significantly alters the thermodynamics and kinetics in C-H activation.

Then, he will discuss ligand-tuning of cobalt-oxide nanoparticles for water oxidation catalysis. Surface tert-butoxide ligand gave the most hydrothermally stable (tBuO)_yCoO_x nanoparticles among those studied, as demonstrated by in situ and time-resolved dynamic light scattering at 70 °C.