Room-temperature selective cyclodehydrogenation on Au(111) via radical addition of open-shell resonance structures

Abstract Cyclodehydrogenation is an important ring-formation reaction that can directly produce planar-conjugated carbon-based nanomaterials from nonplanar molecules. However, inherently high C–H bond energy necessitates a high temperature during dehydrogenation, and the ubiquity of C − H bonds in m...

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Main Authors: Deng-Yuan Li, Zheng-Yang Huang, Li-Xia Kang, Bing-Xin Wang, Jian-Hui Fu, Ying Wang, Guang-Yan Xing, Yan Zhao, Xin-Yu Zhang, Pei-Nian Liu
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Nature Portfolio 2024-11-01
Series:Nature Communications
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-53927-6
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author Deng-Yuan Li
Zheng-Yang Huang
Li-Xia Kang
Bing-Xin Wang
Jian-Hui Fu
Ying Wang
Guang-Yan Xing
Yan Zhao
Xin-Yu Zhang
Pei-Nian Liu
author_facet Deng-Yuan Li
Zheng-Yang Huang
Li-Xia Kang
Bing-Xin Wang
Jian-Hui Fu
Ying Wang
Guang-Yan Xing
Yan Zhao
Xin-Yu Zhang
Pei-Nian Liu
author_sort Deng-Yuan Li
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Cyclodehydrogenation is an important ring-formation reaction that can directly produce planar-conjugated carbon-based nanomaterials from nonplanar molecules. However, inherently high C–H bond energy necessitates a high temperature during dehydrogenation, and the ubiquity of C − H bonds in molecules and small differences in their bond energies hinder the selectivity of dehydrogenation. Here, we report a room-temperature cyclodehydrogenation reaction on Au(111) via radical addition of open-shell resonance structures and demonstrate that radical addition significantly decreases cyclodehydrogenation temperature and further improves the chemoselectivity of dehydrogenation. Using scanning tunneling microscopy and non-contact atomic force microscopy, we visualize the cascade reaction process involved in cyclodehydrogenation and determine atomic structures and molecular orbitals of the planar acetylene-linked oxa-nanographene products. The nonplanar intermediates observed during progression annealing, combined with density functional theory calculations, suggest that room-temperature cyclodehydrogenation involves the formation of transient radicals, intramolecular radical addition, and hydrogen elimination; and that the high chemoselectivity of cyclodehydrogenation arises from the reversibility and different thermodynamics of radical addition step.
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institution DOAJ
issn 2041-1723
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publishDate 2024-11-01
publisher Nature Portfolio
record_format Article
series Nature Communications
spelling doaj-art-e077672d74844914933b6f0ce22fb8352025-08-20T02:50:08ZengNature PortfolioNature Communications2041-17232024-11-0115111010.1038/s41467-024-53927-6Room-temperature selective cyclodehydrogenation on Au(111) via radical addition of open-shell resonance structuresDeng-Yuan Li0Zheng-Yang Huang1Li-Xia Kang2Bing-Xin Wang3Jian-Hui Fu4Ying Wang5Guang-Yan Xing6Yan Zhao7Xin-Yu Zhang8Pei-Nian Liu9State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical UniversitySchool of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, East China University of Science & TechnologySchool of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, East China University of Science & TechnologySchool of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, East China University of Science & TechnologySchool of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, East China University of Science & TechnologySchool of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, East China University of Science & TechnologySchool of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, East China University of Science & TechnologySchool of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, East China University of Science & TechnologySchool of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, East China University of Science & TechnologyState Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical UniversityAbstract Cyclodehydrogenation is an important ring-formation reaction that can directly produce planar-conjugated carbon-based nanomaterials from nonplanar molecules. However, inherently high C–H bond energy necessitates a high temperature during dehydrogenation, and the ubiquity of C − H bonds in molecules and small differences in their bond energies hinder the selectivity of dehydrogenation. Here, we report a room-temperature cyclodehydrogenation reaction on Au(111) via radical addition of open-shell resonance structures and demonstrate that radical addition significantly decreases cyclodehydrogenation temperature and further improves the chemoselectivity of dehydrogenation. Using scanning tunneling microscopy and non-contact atomic force microscopy, we visualize the cascade reaction process involved in cyclodehydrogenation and determine atomic structures and molecular orbitals of the planar acetylene-linked oxa-nanographene products. The nonplanar intermediates observed during progression annealing, combined with density functional theory calculations, suggest that room-temperature cyclodehydrogenation involves the formation of transient radicals, intramolecular radical addition, and hydrogen elimination; and that the high chemoselectivity of cyclodehydrogenation arises from the reversibility and different thermodynamics of radical addition step.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-53927-6
spellingShingle Deng-Yuan Li
Zheng-Yang Huang
Li-Xia Kang
Bing-Xin Wang
Jian-Hui Fu
Ying Wang
Guang-Yan Xing
Yan Zhao
Xin-Yu Zhang
Pei-Nian Liu
Room-temperature selective cyclodehydrogenation on Au(111) via radical addition of open-shell resonance structures
Nature Communications
title Room-temperature selective cyclodehydrogenation on Au(111) via radical addition of open-shell resonance structures
title_full Room-temperature selective cyclodehydrogenation on Au(111) via radical addition of open-shell resonance structures
title_fullStr Room-temperature selective cyclodehydrogenation on Au(111) via radical addition of open-shell resonance structures
title_full_unstemmed Room-temperature selective cyclodehydrogenation on Au(111) via radical addition of open-shell resonance structures
title_short Room-temperature selective cyclodehydrogenation on Au(111) via radical addition of open-shell resonance structures
title_sort room temperature selective cyclodehydrogenation on au 111 via radical addition of open shell resonance structures
url https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-53927-6
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