Keywords:
Metal Carbonyl Clusters
Molcular nanoclusters
Molecular nanocapacitors
Conductor molecular nanowires
Metal nanoparticles
Single Crystal X-Ray Diffraction
Homogeneous Catalysis
Organometallic Chemistry
Synthesis, structural and electrochemical characterisation of metal
carbonyl clusters (MCC). MCC as molecular nanocapacitors. Synthesis
and structural characterisation of molecular semicondutor and
conductor nanowires, assembled form MCC: dtermination of their
electrical and magnetic properties. Applications of metal carbonyl clusters in homogeneous catalysis. Supramolecular chemistry of
MCC. MCC as precursors of metal nanoparticles supported on high
surface and mesoporous materials.
Ligand shell stabilized metal clusters are valid
candidates to assemble functional devices for data storage and
could represent the ultimate solution for miniaturization in
microelectronics and nanolitography. Indeed, a spheric molecular
carbonyl metal cluster potentially is a molecular capacitor, as in
general is based on a globular kernel of metal atoms effectively
shielded by a shell of carbonyl ligands. To be truly considered a
spherical metal capacitor, the cluster should be able to reversibly
accept and release electrons and the metal core should undergo a
transition from an insulator to a metallic regime.
On the other side, columnar clusters, such as [{M3(CO)6}n]
2– (M = Ni, Pt; n = 1-10), are valuable precursors for the
assembly or self-assembly of continuous molecular conductor
wires.
Due to the limited thermal stability of most metal carbonyl
clusters and the great solubility of their salts both in organic
solvents or, even, water, the above salts can be exploited as
“printable metals”. Their possible ease of self-assembly by
formation of M-M, M-M' or M-S-M (S = spacer) bonds upon evaporation
of the solvent candidates their solutions as an “ink” for printing
1-, 2-, 3-D arrays, in addition to 0-D patterns. Within these
premises, the group is actively pursuing the following research
lines:
1) New molecular capacitors.
2) Molecular conductor or semiconductor 1-, 2-, 3-D arrays
by self-assembly.
3) New hybrid (inorganic-organic) semiconductor and
conductor salts.
4) Nano-printing of metal wires by curing self-assembled
molecular wires.
5) Nano-patterning of inorganic matrices with tailored
bimetallic nanoparticles as new heterogeneous catalysts.
