A new synthesis method for three-dimensional nanocarbons
Connecting carbon by catalysis to create octagonal structures

Date:
July 31, 2020
Source:
Institute of Transformative Bio-Molecules (ITbM), Nagoya University
Summary:
A team has developed a new method of synthesis for three-dimensional
nanocarbons, utilizing a catalytic reaction to connect benzene
rings and create an eight-membered ring structure. This represents
a breakthrough in the synthesis of these nanocarbons, which are
expected to be valuable next-generation functional materials.



FULL STORY ==========================================================================
A team of scientists led by Kenichiro Itami, Professor and Director of
the Institute of Transformative Bio-Molecules (WPI-ITbM), has developed
a new method for the synthesis of three-dimensional nanocarbons with
the potential to advance materials science.


========================================================================== Three-dimensional nanocarbons, next-generation materials with superior
physical characteristics which are expected to find uses in fuel cells
and organic electronics, have thus far been extremely challenging to
synthesize in a precise and practical fashion. This new method uses a
palladium catalyst to connect polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons to form
an octagonal structure, enabling successful three-dimensional nanocarbon molecule synthesis.

Nanocarbons, such as the fullerene (a sphere, recipient of the 1996
Nobel Prize), the carbon nanotube (a cylinder, discovered in 1991) and
graphene (a sheet, recipient of the 2010 Nobel Prize) have attracted
a great deal of attention as functional molecules with a variety of
different properties. Since Mackay et al. put forward their theory
in 1991, a variety of periodic three- dimensional nanocarbons have
been proposed. However, these have been extraordinarily difficult to synthesize. A particular challenge is the eight- membered ring structure,
which appears periodically, necessitating an efficient method for its synthesis. To do so, Dr Itami's research team developed a new method for connecting polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons using a palladium catalyst
to produce eight-membered rings via cross-coupling, the first reaction
of its type in the world.

The success of this research represents a revolutionary achievement
in three- dimensional nanocarbon molecule synthesis. It is expected to
lead to the discovery and elucidation of further novel properties and
the development of next-generation functional materials.


========================================================================== Story Source: Materials provided
by Institute_of_Transformative_Bio-Molecules_(ITbM),_Nagoya
University. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.


========================================================================== Journal Reference:
1. Satoshi Matsubara, Yoshito Koga, Yasutomo Segawa, Kei Murakami,
Kenichiro
Itami. Creation of negatively curved polyaromatics enabled by
annulative coupling that forms an eight-membered ring. Nature
Catalysis, 2020; DOI: 10.1038/s41929-020-0487-0 ==========================================================================

Link to news story: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/07/200731102645.htm

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