Abstract
Reducing the size of bulk metals to nanometer scale can result in the display of extraordinary physical and chemical properties. Typically, metal nanoparticles (MNPs) are prepared from metal atoms or metal salts and show remarkable catalytic properties. Metal nanopores (MNPores) are prepared through a totally reverse approach (from bulk metal to nanosized metal): alloy (MM2)-M-1 is fabricated from metal M-1 and metal M-2, and then dealloying of M-2 results in a nanoporous framework of metal M-1. This account summarizes MNPore-catalyzed reactions developed in our group, and their comparison with other representative catalytic reactions. 1 Introduction 1.1 Fabrication and Structural Characteristics of Nanoporous Gold 2 Oxidation Reactions 2.1 Oxidation of Alcohols 2.2 Synthesis of Formamides Through Oxidative Coupling of Methanol with Amines 2.3 Oxidation of Silanes 3 Reduction Reactions 3.1 Semihydrogenation of Alkynes 3.2 Reduction of Quinoline 3.3 Reduction of Imines and Reductive Amination of Carbonyls 3.4 Reduction of ,-Unsaturated Aldehydes 3.5 1,4-Hydrosilylation of Cyclic Enones 4 Formation of C-Si, C-B, and C-C Bonds Using Alkynes 4.1 Hydrosilylation of Alkynes 4.2 Diboration of Alkynes 4.3 Benzannulation Reaction 5 CuNPore-Catalyzed Click Reaction 6 Suzuki, Negishi and Heck Coupling Reactions 7 Concluding Remarks