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

用NHC对金属表面进行官能化在一系列应用中显示出相当大的前景，包括耐腐蚀性、新型生物传感器的开发和催化。在每种情况下，重要的是要发展一个详细的了解NHC与金属表面的相互作用，可以通过表面表征的NHC吸附在定义明确的单晶表面与扫描隧道显微镜，振动光谱，X射线光电子能谱和程序升温脱附的互补技术1，2。硫醇官能化的Au纳米颗粒被广泛用于各种应用3。扩展到其他金属的纳米颗粒受到这些更具反应性的金属在周围环境中腐蚀的趋势的限制。在本项目中，将研究NHC改性的其他金属（例如Ag）纳米颗粒的稳定性。此外，手性NHC已用于对映选择性催化4。这项工作将扩展到合成和手性NHC的吸附功能化的金属纳米粒子，并测试这些系统作为对映选择性非均相催化剂。

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.