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Updated: Jul 17, 2026

Palladium N-Heterocyclic Carbene Complexes: Synthesis from Benzimidazolium Salts and Catalytic Activity in Carbon-carbon Bond-forming Reactions
Published on: July 30, 2017
Biomimetic all-metal Pd11 helicene
Yan Sun1,2, Shuguang Wang1, Jiachun Li1
1Key Laboratory of Advanced Biomaterials and Nanomedicine in Universities of Shandong, Linyi University, Linyi 276000, China.
Researchers synthesized a novel antimony (Sb)-centered palladium (Pd) metallic helicene cluster. This all-metal structure shows exceptional electrocatalytic activity for oxygen reduction, advancing the field of metallic helicenes.
Area of Science:
- Inorganic Chemistry
- Supramolecular Chemistry
- Materials Science
Background:
- Helicenes are chiral polycyclic aromatic compounds with unique photoelectrical properties.
- All-metal helicenes are challenging to synthesize due to difficulties in controlling metal coordination, helical propagation, and stability.
- Existing research has focused on carbon-based helicenes and heterohelicenes, leaving all-metal helicenes underexplored.
Purpose of the Study:
- To report the rational synthesis of a novel all-metal helicene.
- To investigate the structural, electronic, and catalytic properties of the synthesized metallic helicene.
- To explore the potential applications of all-metal helicenes in catalysis.
Main Methods:
- Synthesis of a stibine/thiolate-protected palladium (Pd) metallic helicene cluster, Pd11(PhSb)2(AdmS)10.
- Structural characterization using X-ray crystallography and other spectroscopic techniques.
- Electrocatalytic evaluation for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) using operando infrared spectroscopy and density functional theory (DFT) calculations.
Main Results:
- An unprecedented scallop-like all-metal helicene architecture, an antimony (Sb)-centered [3]Pd-helicene cluster, was successfully synthesized.
- The cluster features a Pd11 framework with unique 7-center-2-electron (7c-2e) sigma bonds, contributing to its stability.
- The metallic helicene demonstrated exceptional electrocatalytic activity for the two-electron oxygen reduction reaction (ORR).
- A chiral homolog was obtained through structural unfolding, indicating dynamic structural behavior.
Conclusions:
- This work presents a significant advancement in the synthesis of all-metal helicenes.
- The Sb-centered [3]Pd-helicene cluster showcases promising electrocatalytic properties for ORR.
- The findings open new avenues for the rational design and functional application of all-metal helicenes in catalysis and materials science.
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