Camino Gonzalez-Arellano

Pd( ii ) and Ni( ii ) biscarbene complexes bearing κ ² -C,O-NHC carboxylate chelating ligands were synthesized and tested in aldehyde and ketone hydrosilylation. The activity showed by a Ni complex is supported by DFT analysis of ligand effects.

Water-soluble ligands that combine features of the PTA phosphine and N-heterocyclic carbene structures are introduced. The utility of these NHC-TA chimeric ligands has been assessed through the synthesis of [AgCl(NHC-TA)] complexes.

Chiral [Ni(Cp)(κ²-C,O-NHC)] and [Ni(κ²-C,O-NHC)₂] containing carbene-carboxylate chelate ligands derived from the (S)-isomeric form of amino acids.

Aromatic compounds have been hydrogenated in water using recoverable catalysts based on water-soluble platinum nanoparticles capped with NHC ligands.

Graphene oxide (GO), the oxidized form of graphene, shows unique properties including high mechanical strength, optical transparency, amphiphilicity and surface functionalization capability that make it attractive in fields ranging from medicine to optoelectronic devices and solar cells. However, its insolubility in non-polar and polar aprotic solvents hinders some applications. To solve this issue, novel functionalization strategies are pursued. In this regard, this study deals with the preparation and characterization of hexamethylene diisocyanate (HDI)-functionalized GO. Different reaction conditions were tested to optimize the functionalization degree (FD), and detailed characterizations were conducted via elemental analysis, Fourier-transformed infrared (FT-IR) and Raman spectroscopies to confirm the success of the functionalization reaction. The morphology of HDI-GO was investigated by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), which revealed an increase in the flake thickness with increasing FD. The HDI-GO showed a more hydrophobic nature than pristine GO and could be suspended in polar aprotic solvents such as N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF), N-methylpyrrolidone (NMP) and dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) as well as in low polar/non-polar solvents like tetrahydrofuran (THF), chloroform and toluene; further, the dispersibility improved upon increasing FD. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) confirmed that the covalent attachment of HDI greatly improves the thermal stability of GO, ascribed to the crosslinking between adjacent sheets, which is interesting for long-term electronics and electrothermal device applications. The HDI-GO samples can further react with organic molecules or polymers via the remaining oxygen groups, hence are ideal candidates as nanofillers for high-performance GO-based polymer nanocomposites.

Graphene oxide (GO), the oxidized form of graphene, shows unique properties, such as strong mechanical strength, high thermal conductivity, amphiphilicity, and surface functionalization capability that make it very attractive in various fields, ranging from medicine to optoelectronic devices and solar cells. However, its insolubility in non-polar and polar aprotic solvents hinders some applications. To solve this issue, novel functionalization strategies are pursued. In this regard, the current study deals with the preparation and characterization of hexamethylene diisocyanate (HDI)-functionalized GO. Different reaction conditions were tested to optimize the functionalization degree (FD), and detailed characterization was conducted via Fourier-transformed infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy to confirm the success of the functionalization reaction. The HDI-GO could further react with other organic molecules or polymers via the remaining oxygen groups, which makes them ideal candidates as nanofillers for high-performance GO-based polymer nanocomposites.

Novel water-soluble (NHC)Pt(0)(1,6-diene) complexes are presented, along with details of their preparation, stability, and use as catalysts for the hydrosilylation of acetylenes in water.