莱斯大学化学家劳尔·埃尔南德斯·桑切斯团队开发了一种创新的分子篮结构，使稀土金属钕能够与氧形成pi相互作用，从而产生高反应性的兰系氧化物化合物[1]。这一设计突破了先前的认知——兰系金属与氧等小分子间的pi相互作用曾被认为不太可能实现[1]。研究成果已发表在《美国化学学会杂志》上，由洪-雷伊·徐、亚历杭德罗·富恩特斯·贝尔特兰和埃尔南德斯·桑切斯共同撰写[1]。
该分子篮的关键创新在于其精细设计的八配位配体环境，能够对金属原子的位置进行精确控制[1]。研究团队相信这一配体支架可以推广到大多数兰系元素，甚至可能扩展到锕系元素[1]。这项突破可能为生物反应和化学制造中的铁基分子提供替代品[1]。研究由莱斯大学启动资金、罗伯特·韦尔奇基金会以及韦尔奇基金会资助项目（C-2142-20230405）提供支持[1]。
Chemists at Rice University have developed a specialized molecular basket structure that allows the rare-earth metal neodymium to form pi interactions with oxygen, creating highly reactive lanthanide oxide compounds[1]. This achievement represents a significant advance, as pi interactions between lanthanide metals and small molecules like oxygen were previously considered unlikely to occur[1].
The key innovation lies in the molecular basket's design, which enables precise control over the metal atom's position within an eight-coordinate ligand environment[1]. This careful positioning facilitates the chemical interactions that were previously thought impossible. The findings, published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society, were authored by Hong-Lei Xu, Alejandro Fuentes Beltrán, and Raúl Hernández Sánchez[1]. The research was supported by Rice University startup funds, the Robert A. Welch Foundation, and a Welch Foundation Grant (C-2142-20230405)[1].
The research team believes the same ligand scaffold could support similar reactions with most lanthanide elements and potentially actinide elements as well[1]. These results may provide alternatives to iron-based molecular systems currently used in biological reactions and chemical manufacturing[1].