COLLOIDAL COORDINATION POLYMER NANOCRYSTALS: SYNTHESIS AND CATALYTIC ACTIVITY

Kiattipoom Rodpun1,2, Nigel T. Lucas1,2, Eng W. Tan1, and Carla J. Meledandri1,2*

1Department of Chemistry, University of Otago, PO Box 56, Dunedin 9054, New Zealand 2MacDiarmid Institute for Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology, University of Otago, PO

Box 56, Dunedin, New Zealand Email: cmeledandri@chemistry.otago.ac.nz

Ultra-small nanocrystals composed of either Zn2+- or Cu2+-coordination polymers with uniform shape and controllable size have been synthesised within confined nanoscale water droplets using a specifically-tailored modification of the microemulsion method (Figure). The nanocrystals have been observed to form solvent-dispersible aggregate structures of controlled size and shape, in the range of 50 – 80 nm. In contrast to macroscopic coordination polymer crystals of identical composition, the nanocrystals demonstrate high catalytic activity, as evidenced through their use in a ring opening reaction of cyclohexene oxide with aniline. Furthermore, a reduced form of the CuII NCPs has been successfully employed as a catalyst for an azide-alkyne cycloaddition “click” reaction in nonpolar solvent. The synthetic method described in this work represents a convenient approach to the synthesis of coordination polymer nanocrystals with tunable properties, as the ligands can be independently modified and selectively combined with desired metal ions to prepare materials for various applications. Rodpun, K.; Lucas, N. T.; Tan, E. W.; Meledandri, C. J. Cryst. Growth Des. 2016, 16, 3940.