Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 21, 2026
04:51
Author Spotlight: Functionalizing Metal-Organic Frameworks: Advancements, Challenges, and the Power of Post-Synthetic Ligand Exchange
Published on: June 23, 2023
3.9K
A universal rule for organic ligand exchange.
Hongjun You1, Wenjin Wang, Shengchun Yang
1MOE Key Laboratory for Non-equilibrium Synthesis and Modulation of Condensed Matter, State Key Laboratory for Mechanical Behavior of Materials, School of Science, Xi'an Jiaotong University , Xi'an, Shaanxi 710049, P. R. China.
ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces
|October 23, 2014
Summary
Shorter organic ligands bind more strongly to nanocrystal surfaces than longer ones. This finding supports a new ligand exchange method to enhance catalytic properties by replacing large molecules with smaller ones.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Surface Chemistry
- Nanotechnology
Background:
- Current nanocrystal synthesis relies on long hydrocarbon ligands, hindering electronic and catalytic applications.
- Ligand choice critically impacts nanocrystal functionality and performance.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between organic ligand carbon-chain length and adsorption energy on nanocrystal surfaces.
- To establish a theoretical basis for improving nanocrystal catalytic properties through ligand modification.
Main Methods:
- Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations were employed.
- Adsorption energies of various functionalized ligands (carboxylate, hydroxyl, amine) with differing carbon-chain lengths on metal and metal oxide surfaces were computed.
Main Results:
- A clear correlation was established: longer carbon-chain ligands exhibit weaker adsorption energies compared to shorter ligands with the same functional group.
- Ligand adsorption energy is inversely related to its carbon-chain length.
Conclusions:
- The study reveals a fundamental rule governing ligand-nanocrystal interactions based on carbon-chain length.
- This rule validates a novel ligand exchange strategy for enhancing nanocrystal catalytic activity by substituting long ligands with smaller, more strongly binding ones.
Related Concept Videos
02:51Metal-Ligand Bonds
19.2K
The hemoglobin in the blood, the chlorophyll in green plants, vitamin B-12, and the catalyst used in the manufacture of polyethylene all contain coordination compounds. Ions of the metals, especially the transition metals, are likely to form complexes.
In these complexes, transition metals form coordinate covalent bonds, a kind of Lewis acid-base interaction in which both of the electrons in the bond are contributed by a donor (Lewis base) to an electron acceptor (Lewis acid). The Lewis acid in...
In these complexes, transition metals form coordinate covalent bonds, a kind of Lewis acid-base interaction in which both of the electrons in the bond are contributed by a donor (Lewis base) to an electron acceptor (Lewis acid). The Lewis acid in...
19.2K
00:56Extraction: Advanced Methods
1.2K
Metal ions can be separated from one another by complexation with organic ligands–the chelating agent– to form uncharged chelates. Here, the chelating agent must contain hydrophobic groups and behave as a weak acid, losing a proton to bind with the metal. Since most organic ligands used in this process are insoluble or undergo oxidation in the aqueous phase, the chelating agent is initially added to the organic phase and extracted into the aqueous phase. The metal-ligand complex is...
1.2K
01:19Complexation Equilibria: The Chelate Effect
1.7K
In complexation reactions, metal atoms or cations interact with ligands to form donor-acceptor adducts called metal complexes. Ligands that bind through one donor site are monodentate, ligands with two donor sites are bidentate, and those with more than two donor sites are polydentate ligands. For example, ethylene diamine is a bidentate ligand that binds through two nitrogen donor atoms, forming a five-membered ring. EDTA is a polydentate ligand that binds through four oxygen and two nitrogen...
1.7K
02:40Ligand Binding Sites
11.8K
Proteins are dynamic macromolecules that carry out a wide variety of essential processes; however, the activities of most proteins depend on their interactions with other molecules or ions, known as ligands.
Protein-ligand interactions are quite specific; even though numerous potential ligands surround a cellular protein at any given time, only a particular ligand can bind to that protein. Moreover, a ligand binds only to a dedicated area on the surface of the protein, known as the...
Protein-ligand interactions are quite specific; even though numerous potential ligands surround a cellular protein at any given time, only a particular ligand can bind to that protein. Moreover, a ligand binds only to a dedicated area on the surface of the protein, known as the...
11.8K
02:40Ligand Binding Sites
6.0K
6.0K
02:42Valence Bond Theory
8.8K
Coordination compounds and complexes exhibit different colors, geometries, and magnetic behavior, depending on the metal atom/ion and ligands from which they are composed. In an attempt to explain the bonding and structure of coordination complexes, Linus Pauling proposed the valence bond theory, or VBT, using the concepts of hybridization and the overlapping of the atomic orbitals. According to VBT, the central metal atom or ion (Lewis acid) hybridizes to provide empty orbitals of suitable...
8.8K