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Interfacial Charge Transfer Directing Intermolecular Hydrogen Transfer for On-Surface C-H Activation
Rujia Hou1, Yuhong Gao1, Lei Xu1
1Interdisciplinary Materials Research Center, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai 201804, People's Republic of China.
Journal of the American Chemical Society
|June 19, 2026
Summary
We developed a new hydrogen-atom transfer (HAT) strategy for on-surface carbon-hydrogen (C-H) activation. This method uses interfacial charge transfer to control reactivity, enabling selective C-H bond breaking in surface chemistry.
Area of Science:
- Surface chemistry
- Catalysis
- Materials science
Background:
- Interfacial charge transfer is crucial for catalytic and device performance.
- Exploiting charge transfer for on-surface synthesis reaction design is underdeveloped.
- Current on-surface C-H activation methods lack selectivity and efficiency.
Purpose of the Study:
- To introduce a novel strategy for on-surface C-H activation.
- To demonstrate the role of interfacial charge transfer in directing reactivity.
- To establish a rational design principle for surface chemistry.
Main Methods:
- Developed a bimolecular hydrogen-atom transfer (HAT) strategy.
- Introduced well-defined "hydrogen-acceptor" molecules.
- Utilized interfacial charge transfer to direct molecular reactivity.
Main Results:
- Achieved controllable intermolecular HAT-driven C-H activation.
- Demonstrated selective C-H bond activation on surfaces.
- Established a charge-transfer-mediated activation mechanism.
Conclusions:
- Interfacial charge transfer can be exploited to design reaction pathways in on-surface synthesis.
- The HAT strategy offers a selective and efficient approach to C-H activation.
- This work provides a new principle for designing surface chemistry via charge transfer.
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