Preparation via solvated metal atoms and surface reactivity of homo and heteronanostructured metal particles: supported and unsupported Rh nanoaggregates

Metal vaporization provides an efficient route to nanostructured homo and heterometallic particles. Metal atoms, when reacted at low temperature with weakly complexing organic compounds, allow the formation of reaction products soluble in the excess of ligand and stable at low temperature (solvated metal atoms). Such solutions, which contain solvent stabilized metal atoms and/or metal microclusters, by further clustering at room temperature act as source of activated metal nanoparticles, which can be isolated as unsupported and supported aggregates. Many metal-ligand combinations can be used and the choice of ligands can be rightly overseen in order to exert a valuable control over metal cluster size. We report here that mesitylene solvated Rh atoms, obtained by reaction of Rh vapour with mesitylene, are suitable starting material for the preparation of supported and unsupported Rh nanoparticles. The method ensures the generation of very small Rhodium particles in their reduced state and no activation steps are necessary.