Organometallic Ruthenium Nanoparticles as Model Catalysts for CO Hydrogenation: A Nuclear Magnetic Resonance and Ambient-Pressure X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy Study

International audienceWe present a study of the structure and reactivity of Ru nanoparticles of different sizes (1.3, 1.9, and 3.1 nm) for CO hydrogenation using gas-phase nuclear magnetic resonance and mass spectroscopy. In addition, the nanoparticles were characterized under reaction mixtures in situ by ambient-pressure X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. We found that during reaction the Ru is in the metallic state and that the diphosphine ligands [bis(diphenylphosphino)butane (dppb)] on the surface of 1.9 and 3.1 nm nanoparticles not only act as capping and protecting agents but also stay on the surface during reaction and improve their activity and selectivity toward C 2 −C 4 hydrocarbons