FTIR overtone spectroscopy on surfaces. The C—O mode in chemisorbed methoxy on Ni(111)

Nickel Slag/Laterite Soil and Nickel Slag/Iron Sand Nanocomposites: Structural, Optical, and Electromagnetic Absorption Properties

Efforts to produce microwave absorber materials that are inexpensive and environmentally friendly have become a means of greening the environment. The breakthrough can be focused on industrial waste and natural materials for functional purposes and how to enhance their performance. We successfully synthesized nickel slag/laterite soil (NS/LS) and nickel slag/iron sand (NS/IS) nanocomposites using a simple mechanical alloying technique, and the electromagnetic (EM) wave absorption capacities of the nanocomposites were measured using a vector network analyzer. The structural properties of the nanocomposites were analyzed by X-ray diffraction spectroscopy, where the results of the analysis showed that NS/IS has the largest crystallite size (15.69 nm) and the highest EM wave absorption performance. The optical properties of the nanocomposites were determined from their Fourier transform infrared spectra using the Kramers-Kronig relation. As determined through a quantitative analysis of the optical properties, the distance between the longitudinal and transversal optical phonon wavenumber positions (Δ(LO - TO) = 65 cm^-1) is inversely proportional to the reflection loss. The surface morphologies of the nanocomposites were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy, and the particle diameters were observed by binary image and Gaussian distribution analyses. The nanocomposite surface exhibits a graded-like morphology, which indicates multiple reflections of the EM radiation, consequently reducing the EM interference. The best nanocomposite for an attenuated EM wave achieved a reflection loss of -39.14 dB at 5-8 GHz. A low penetration depth has implications for the electrical charge tuning of the storage and composite magnets. Finally, the EM absorption properties of NS/IS and NS/LS indicate a 2-mm-thick environmentally friendly nanocomposite for EM absorption.

Methanol decomposition on Ni(111) and O/Ni(111)

Methanol decomposition on Ni(111) surfaces has been studied in the presence and absence of oxygen using temperature-programmed desorption and temperature-dependent sum frequency generation spectroscopy. Under both conditions the C-H and O-H bonds break, forming carbon monoxide and atomic hydrogen on the surface. No C-O bond scission was observed, limiting the number of reaction pathways. The O-H bonds break first (>150 K), forming surface methoxy, followed by C-H bond breakage (>250 K). All atomic hydrogen desorbs from the surface as H₂ through H+H recombinative desorption. H₂ desorbs at a higher temperature in the presence of oxygen (>300 K) than the absence of oxygen (>250 K) as the oxygen on the surface stabilizes the H atoms, forming surface hydroxide (OH). The surface oxygen also appears to stabilize the O-H and C-H bonds, leading to slightly higher dissociation temperatures. The CO molecules occupy both the bridge sites and the top sites of the Ni atoms as surface H appears to force the CO molecules to the top sites. There is a slight blueshift in the C-O bond vibration for both the O covered and O free surfaces due to CO being more mobile. On the O free surface, the C-O peak width broadens as low-frequency modes are activated. Finally, CO desorbs between 350 and 400 K.

Detection and Characterization of Anharmonic Overtone Vibrations of Single Molecules on a Metal Surface

Inelastic electron tunneling spectroscopy (IETS) with the scanning tunneling microscope (STM) is a powerful technique used to characterize the vibration and spin states at the single-molecule level. While IETS lacks hard selection rules, historically it has been assumed that vibrational overtones are rarely seen or even absent. Here we provide definitive experimental evidence that the hindered rotation overtone excitation of carbon monoxide molecules adsorbed on Ag(110) can be detected with STM-IETS via isotope substitution. We also demonstrate that the anharmonicity of the overtone excitation can be characterized and compared between adsorption sites and find evidence of anisotropy in the vibrational anharmonicity for CO adsorbed on the [11[over ¯]0] step edge.

Removal of hexavalent chromium ions by Yarrowia lipolytica cells modified with phyto-inspired Fe0/Fe3O4 nanoparticles

The removal of hexavalent chromium [Cr (VI)], an important ground water pollutant by phyto-inspired Fe(0)/Fe(3)O(4) nanocomposite-modified cells of Yarrowia lipolytica (NCIM 3589 and NCIM 3590), was investigated. Electron microscopy and magnetometer studies indicated an effective modification of yeast cell surfaces by the nanocomposites. The effect of pH, temperature, agitation speed, contact time and initial metal ion concentration on the removal of Cr (VI) was determined. The specific uptake values at pH 2.0 were 186.32±3.17 and 137.31±4.53 mg g(-1) for NCIM 3589 and NCIM 3590, respectively, when 1000 mg L(-1) of metal ion concentrations were used. The equilibrium data fitted to Scatchard, Langmuir and linearized Freundlich models suggesting that adsorption played a role in the removal of Cr (VI) ions. The surface modified yeast cells displayed higher values of Langmuir and Scatchard coefficients than the unmodified cells indicating that the former were more efficient in Cr (VI) removal. The enhanced detoxification of Cr (VI) ions by this composite material could be attributed to the reductive power of the Fe(0)/Fe(3)O(4) nanocomposites as well the yeast cell surface functional groups.

Surface adsorbate vibrations explored by infrared spectroscopy and DFT cluster calculations at the anharmonic level: CO on Cu(100)

The vibrational properties of the CO/Cu(100) surface adsorbate system have been explored by infrared spectroscopy and DFT cluster calculations. We show that all four fundamental, FT(x,y), FR(x,y), FT(z) and ν(C-O), vibrational modes are very well reproduced with respect to experiments by the present calculations and they are at the highest level reported to date. Our work demonstrates that it is essential to include both anharmonicity and cluster relaxation when modeling the CO/Cu(100) system. The absence and presence of binary modes: 2 ×ν(C-O) and FT(z) + ν(C-O) in our experimental data are discussed as well.

Time-resolved sum-frequency generation spectroscopy of methoxy and deuterated methoxy on Ni(111) using near-infrared laser pulses

Methoxy (CH3O-) and deuterated (d-) methoxy (CD3O-) species on Ni(111) are investigated by sum-frequency generation (SFG) spectroscopy. Methoxy adsorbed on the Ni(111) surface is confirmed by SFG spectroscopy to be oriented normal to the surface. Two resonant peaks produced by methoxy, at 2921 and 2821 cm(-1), are assigned to Fermi resonance between the CH symmetric stretching and overtone modes. Deuterated methoxy exhibits a single strong peak at 2051 cm(-1) assigned to the CD symmetric stretching mode. Investigation of the sub-nanosecond transient behavior of methoxy and d-methoxy species on Ni(111) under short-pulse laser pumping at 1064 nm reveals a clear weakening and recovery of the SFG peaks upon heating. The observed temporal profile is reproduced by simulation assuming that the original methoxy in the ground state is in chemical equilibrium with a new state produced by instantaneous heating. The dependence of the SFG spectra on the initial substrate temperature is also reproduced by the simulation. The simulation suggests a temperature jump of 250 K upon laser pumping, inducing a change in the molecular orientation or adsorption site of methoxy on the Ni(111) surface without decomposition of methoxy to adsorbed CO and hydrogen, which occurs under normal heating at 200 K.

Surface-induced C–O bond anharmonicity of methoxy adsorbed on Cu(100): Experiments and density-functional theory calculations

The anharmonic properties of a surface intermediate, methoxy, adsorbed on Cu(100) are investigated by surface infrared overtone spectroscopy and density-functional-theory electronic structure calculations. The anharmonicity is measured in the zero-coverage limit, and it is observed that the anharmonicity is increased upon adsorption as compared with the free methanol. By combining experiments with calculations we demonstrate that modifications of the anharmonicity of the methoxy species is indeed induced by adsorption onto the copper surface and not by the formation of the methoxy species.

Kinetic Mechanism of Methanol Decomposition on Ni(111) Surface: A Theoretical Study

The decomposition of methanol on the Ni(111) surface has been studied with the pseudopotential method of density functional theory-generalized gradient approximation (DFT-GGA) and with the repeated slab models. The adsorption energies of possible species and the activation energy barriers of the possible elementary reactions involved are obtained in the present work. The major reaction path on Ni surfaces involves the O-H bond breaking in CH(3)OH and the further decomposition of the resulting methoxy species to CO and H via stepwise hydrogen abstractions from CH(3)O. The abstraction of hydrogen from methoxy itself is the rate-limiting step. We also confirm that the C-O and C-H bond-breaking paths, which lead to the formation of surface methyl and hydroxyl and hydroxymethyl and atom hydrogen, respectively, have higher energy barriers. Therefore, the final products are the adsorbed CO and H atom.

Characterization of methoxy adsorption on some transition metals: A first principles density functional theory study

Based on the gradient-density functional theory, calculation results of methoxy adsorption on Au(111), Ag(111), Cu(111), Pt(111), Pd(111), Ni(111), Rh(111), and Fe(100) surfaces are presented, and a consistent picture for some key physical properties determining the reactivity of metals appears. These eight metals belong to two groups: either with filled d electrons (group IB) or with unfilled but more than half filled d electrons (group VIII). The calculated adsorption energies are quite in agreement with the experimental data as well as the previous theoretical calculation results. Importantly, using the analysis of B. Hammer and J. K. Norskov, Nature (London) 376, 232 (1995) and in Chemisorption and Reactivity on Supported Clusters and Thin Films, edited by R. M. Lambert and G. Pacchioni (Kluwer Academic, Dordrecht, 1997), pp. 285-351, the binding energies have selectively been linearly correlated to the d-band center and to the size of the metal d-band orbital overlapping with the adsorbate (coupling matrix element) for these two groups of metals. And by analyzing the nature of the adsorption bonding, the possible reason of this difference is suggested.

Isolation and identification of surface-bound acetone enolate on Ni(111)

A surface-bound acetone enolate species has been synthesized on Ni(111) between 260 and 340 K by two different routes catalyzed by surface Ni and O atoms: deprotonation of acetone and deacetylation of acetylacetone. The reaction pathways and surface species have been identified using reflection absorption infrared spectroscopy (RAIRS) in combination with isotopic substitution and density functional theory (DFT) calculations. Acetone enolate exhibits characteristic vibrational absorption bands at 1260, 1353, and 1545 cm-1 arising from mixed modes that involve CC stretching, CH3 bending, and CO stretching. This work conclusively proves the existence of stable acetone enolate species on a metal single-crystal surface and provides its first detailed characterization.