Positive and negative regulation of carbon nanotube catalysts through encapsulation within macrocycles

Matías Blanco, Belén Nieto-Ortega, Alberto Juan, Mariano Vera-Hidalgo, Alejandro López-Moreno, Santiago Casado, Luisa R. González, Hidetaka Sawada, José M. González-Calbet and Emilio M. Pérez ()
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Matías Blanco: Ciudad Universitaria de Cantoblanco
Belén Nieto-Ortega: Ciudad Universitaria de Cantoblanco
Alberto Juan: Ciudad Universitaria de Cantoblanco
Mariano Vera-Hidalgo: Ciudad Universitaria de Cantoblanco
Alejandro López-Moreno: Ciudad Universitaria de Cantoblanco
Santiago Casado: Ciudad Universitaria de Cantoblanco
Luisa R. González: Universidad Complutense de Madrid
Hidetaka Sawada: JEOL Ltd, 3-1-2 Musashino
José M. González-Calbet: Universidad Complutense de Madrid
Emilio M. Pérez: Ciudad Universitaria de Cantoblanco

Nature Communications, 2018, vol. 9, issue 1, 1-7

Abstract: Abstract One of the most attractive applications of carbon nanomaterials is as catalysts, due to their extreme surface-to-volume ratio. The substitution of C with heteroatoms (typically B and N as p- and n-dopants) has been explored to enhance their catalytic activity. Here we show that encapsulation within weakly doping macrocycles can be used to modify the catalytic properties of the nanotubes towards the reduction of nitroarenes, either enhancing it (n-doping) or slowing it down (p-doping). This artificial regulation strategy presents a unique combination of features found in the natural regulation of enzymes: binding of the effectors (the macrocycles) is noncovalent, yet stable thanks to the mechanical link, and their effect is remote, but not allosteric, since it does not affect the structure of the active site. By careful design of the macrocycles’ structure, we expect that this strategy will contribute to overcome the major hurdles in SWNT-based catalysts: activity, aggregation, and specificity.

Date: 2018
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-05183-8

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