Functionalising metal surfaces with N-heterocyclic carbenes for applications in corrosion inhibition and heterogenous catalysis

利用NHCS对金属表面进行功能化处理，在耐腐蚀性、新型生物传感器的开发和催化等一系列应用中显示出相当大的前景。在每一种情况下，都必须详细了解NHC与金属表面的相互作用，这可以通过NHC在定义明确的单晶表面上的吸附的表面特征结合扫描隧道显微镜、振动光谱、X射线光电子能谱和程序升温脱附1、2等补充技术来实现。硫醇功能化的金纳米颗粒在各种应用中得到了广泛的应用。其他金属的纳米颗粒的扩展受到这些活性更强的金属在环境中容易腐蚀的趋势的限制。在这个项目中，将研究NHC修饰的其他金属纳米颗粒的稳定性，例如银。此外，手性NHC还被用于对映体选择性催化。这项工作将被扩展到合成和表征通过吸附手性NHC而功能化的金属纳米颗粒，并测试这些体系作为对映选择性多相催化剂。

Functionalisation of metal surfaces with NHCs has shown considerable promise in a range of applications including corrosion resistance, the development of novel biosensors and in catalysis. In each case, it is important to develop a detailed understanding of the interaction of NHCs with metal surfaces which can be achieved by surface characterisation of NHC adsorption on well-defined single crystal surfaces with the complementary techniques of scanning tunnelling microscopy, vibrational spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and temperature programmed desorption1, 2 . Thiol functionalised Au nanoparticles are used widely in a variety of applications3. The extension to nanoparticles of other metals is limited by the tendency of these more reactive metals to corrode in ambient environments. In this project the stability of NHC modified nanoparticles of other metals, e.g. Ag, will be investigated. In addition, Chiral NHCs have been used in enantioselective catalysis4. The work will be extended to synthesise and characterise metal nanoparticles functionalised by the adsorption of chiral NHCs and to test these systems as enantioselective heterogeneous catalysts.