Catalytically active atomically thin cuprate with periodic Cu single sites.

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Catalysis
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Designing 2D materials with precise active sites is challenging.
• Atomically precise active sites in basal planes are crucial for catalysis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a strategy for creating 2D cuprate materials with accessible unsaturated copper sites.
• To investigate the catalytic activity of these 2D materials in oxidative Chan-Lam coupling.

Main Methods:

• Ligand exchange strategy to exfoliate bulk cuprate crystals into 2D layers.
• Characterization of 2D cuprate layers with unsaturated Cu(II) single sites (2D-CuSSs).
• Mechanistic studies using operando experiments and theoretical calculations.

Main Results:

• Successful exfoliation of bulk cuprates into atomically thin 2D cuprate layers.
• Identification of periodic arrays of accessible unsaturated Cu(II) single sites (2D-CuSSs) in the basal plane.
• Demonstration of efficient oxidative Chan-Lam coupling promoted by 2D-CuSSs.
• Mechanistic insights revealing the role of coordinatively unsaturated CuO4(II) sites and Cu(I) species formation.

Conclusions:

• 2D cuprate layers with unsaturated copper sites are effective catalysts for oxidative Chan-Lam coupling.
• The developed 2D-CuSSs exhibit robust stability, recyclability, and broad utility in complex molecule synthesis.
• This work provides a new avenue for designing advanced 2D catalysts for fine chemical synthesis.