Density functional theory study of CO adsorption on the (100), (001) and (010) surfaces of Fe3C

Fe Crystalline Phases in Fe/C Composites Modulated the Selective Adsorption of Pb(II) from Industrial Wastewater with Cd(II): An Electronic-Scale Perspective

Fe oxide or Fe0-based materials display weak removal capacity for Pb(II), especially in the presence of Cd(II), and the electronic-scale mechanisms are not reported. In this study, Fe3C(220) modified black carbon (BC) [Fe3C(220)@BC] with high adsorption and selectivity for Pb(II) from industrial wastewater with Cd(II) was developed. The quantitative experiment suggested that Fe species accounted for 80.5-100 and 18.4-33.8% of Pb(II) and Cd(II) removal, respectively. Based on X-ray absorption near-edge structure analysis, 57.3% of adsorbed Pb2+ was reduced to Pb0; however, 61.6% of Cd2+ existed on Fe3C@BC. Density functional theory simulation unraveled that Cd(II) adsorption was attributed to the cation-π interaction with BC, whereas that of Pb(II) was ascribed to the stronger interactions with different Fe phases following the order: Fe3C(220) > Fe0(110) > Fe3O4(311). Crystal orbital bond index and Hamilton population analyses were innovatively applied in the adsorption system and displayed a unique discovery: the stronger Pb(II) adsorption on Fe phases was mediated by a combination of covalent and ionic bonding, whereas ionic bonding was mainly accounted for Cd(II) adsorption. These findings open a new chapter in understanding the functions of different Fe phases in mediating the fate and transport of heavy metals in both natural and engineered systems.

A DFT study towards dynamic structures of iron and iron carbide and their effects on the activity of the Fischer-Tropsch process

The Fe-based Fischer-Tropsch synthesis (FTS) catalyst shows a rich phase chemistry under pre-treatment and FTS conditions. The exact structural composition of the active site, whether iron or iron carbide (FeCx), is still controversial. Aiming to obtain an insight into the active sites and their role in affecting FTS activity, the swarm intelligence algorithm is implemented to search for the most stable Fe(100), Fe(110), Fe(210) surfaces with different carbon ratios. Then, ab initio atomistic thermodynamics and Wulffman construction were employed to evaluate the stability of these surfaces at different chemical potentials of carbon. Their FTS reactivity and selectivity were later assessed by semi-quantitative micro-kinetic equations. The results show that stability, reactivity, and selectivity of the iron are all affected by the carbonization process when the carbon ratio increases. Formation of the carbide, a rather natural process under experimental conditions, would moderately increase the turnover frequency (TOF), but both iron and iron carbide are active to the reaction.

A review of catalytic hydrogenation of carbon dioxide: From waste to hydrocarbons

With the rapid development of industrial society and humankind’s prosperity, the growing demands of global energy, mainly based on the combustion of hydrocarbon fossil fuels, has become one of the most severe challenges all over the world. It is estimated that fossil fuel consumption continues to grow with an annual increase rate of 1.3%, which has seriously affected the natural environment through the emission of greenhouse gases, most notably carbon dioxide (CO₂). Given these recognized environmental concerns, it is imperative to develop clean technologies for converting captured CO₂ to high-valued chemicals, one of which is value-added hydrocarbons. In this article, environmental effects due to CO₂ emission are discussed and various routes for CO₂ hydrogenation to hydrocarbons including light olefins, fuel oils (gasoline and jet fuel), and aromatics are comprehensively elaborated. Our emphasis is on catalyst development. In addition, we present an outlook that summarizes the research challenges and opportunities associated with the hydrogenation of CO₂ to hydrocarbon products.

C2 weakens the turnover frequency during the melting of FexCy: insights from reactive MD simulations

The carbon accumulation in the form of C2 on the surface at high temperatures blocks the surface catalytic active sites, reducing the activity of melted FexCy nanoparticles.

Theoretical insights into non-oxidative propane dehydrogenation over Fe3C

Identifying catalysts for non-oxidative propane dehydrogenation has become increasingly important due to the increasing demand for propylene coupled to decreasing propylene production from steam cracking as we shift to lighter hydrocarbon feedstocks. Commercialized propane dehydrogenation (PDH) catalysts are based on Pt or Cr, which are expensive or toxic, respectively. Recent experimental work has demonstrated that earth-abundant and environmentally-benign metals, such as iron, form in situ carbide phases that exhibit good activity and high selectivity for PDH. In this work, we used density functional theory (DFT) to better understand why the PDH reaction is highly selective on Fe3C surfaces. We use ab initio thermodynamics to identify stable Fe3C surface terminations as a function of reaction conditions, which then serve as our models for investigating rate-determining and selectivity-determining kinetic barriers during PDH. We find that carbon-rich surfaces show much higher selectivity for propylene production over competing cracking reactions compared to iron-rich surfaces, which is determined by comparing the propylene desorption barrier to the C-H scission barrier for dehydrogenation steps beyond propylene. Electronic structure analyses of the d-band center and the crystal orbital Hamilton population (COHP) of the carbides demonstrate that the high selectivity of carbon-rich surfaces originates from the disruption of surface Fe ensembles via carbon. Finally, we investigated the role of phosphate in suppressing coke formation and found that the electron-withdrawing character of phosphate destabilizes surface carbon.

CO adsorption, oxidation and carbonate formation mechanisms on Fe3O4 surfaces

By means of density functional theory calculations that account for the on-site Coulomb interaction via a Hubbard term (DFT+U), we systematically investigated CO adsorption on Fe₃O₄ surfaces at different coverages. It has been found that more than one CO can coadsorb on one surface iron atom on both Fe_tet1 and Fe_oct2 terminations of Fe₃O₄(111). The uncapped oxygen atom is the active site for CO oxidation on both Fe_tet1 and Fe_oct2 terminations of Fe₃O₄(111). For Fe₃O₄(110), two CO molecules prefer to coadsorb on one surface iron atom on the A layer; CO prefers to adsorb at the bridge site of the surface octahedral iron atoms at low coverage, while CO prefers to adsorb at the surface tetrahedral iron atom at high coverage on the B layer. It has been found that the surface oxygen atom which is not coordinated to the tetrahedral iron atom is the active site for CO oxidation on the B termination of Fe₃O₄(001). On the Fe₃O₄ surfaces, the formation of carbonate has been found to be very stable thermodynamically, which agrees well with experiments. The adsorption mechanism has been analyzed on the basis of projected density of states (PDOS).

Carbon adsorption on doped cementite surfaces for effective catalytic growth of diamond-like carbon: a first-principles study

We studied the adsorption of carbon on (100), (010) and (001) surfaces of alloyed cementite (Fe₂MC with M = Cr, Mn, Mo, Ni and V), in comparison with that of cementite (Fe₃C), to predict the catalytic effect of the element-doped cementite on diamond-like carbon (DLC) growth through first-principles analysis. The adsorption of carbon on the alloyed cementite surface is related to its surface stability. The more stable a surface, the weaker its adsorption capability. Mn, Mo, Cr or V alloyed cementite have a higher adsorption energy than unalloyed cementite. A correlation has also been found between the adsorption and the transferred charge based on Bader charge analysis. Among all the types of doped cementite under study, Fe₂NiC possesses the strongest catalytic activity for DLC growth based on the formation energy of diamond carbon. Doping cementite with the appropriate elements provides a promising means to improve the catalytic activity of Fe₃C for effective DLC growth.

Design of Optimally Stable Molecular Coatings for Fe-Based Nanoparticles in Aqueous Environments

Magnetic nanoparticles are widely used in biomedical and oil-well applications in aqueous, often harsh environments. The pursuit for high-saturation magnetization together with high stability of the molecular coating that prevents agglomeration and oxidation remains an active research area. Here, we report a detailed analysis of the criteria for the stability of molecular coatings in aqueous environments along with extensive first-principles calculations for magnetite, which has been widely used, and cementite, a promising emerging candidate. A key result is that the simple binding energies of molecules cannot be used as a definitive indicator of relative stability in a liquid environment. Instead, we find that H⁺ ions and water molecules facilitate the desorption of molecules from the surface. We further find that, because of differences in the geometry of crystal structures, molecules generally form stronger bonds on cementite surfaces than they do on magnetite surfaces. The net result is that molecular coatings of cementite nanoparticles are more stable. This feature, together with the better magnetic properties, makes cementite nanoparticles a promising candidate for biomedical and oil-well applications.

The Molecular Adsorption of Carbon Monoxide on Cobalt Surfaces: A Dft Study

The theoretical molecular adsorption energies, vibrational frequencies and total density of states of carbon monoxide (CO) on the (100), (110) and (111) surfaces of the face-centred cubic (FCC) crystalline phase of metallic cobalt were investigated using density functional theory calculations. The on-top adsorption state and three surface coverages were used for comparison of the results. The geometries of cobalt FCC surfaces, as well as those with adsorbed CO molecules and the CO binding energies were calculated with the generalised gradient approximation (GGA-D) using the revised revPBE-D3(BJ) functional. The theoretical results for adsorption energies of carbon monoxide were proportional to the electron density of the cobalt surfaces, according to the following order: FCC (100) > FCC (110) > FCC (111). For CO adsorbed on the surface of cobalt metal the C–O distance increases, producing a weakening of the bond and the calculated stretching frequency decreases when compared with the isolated molecule.

Biomass-Derived Porous Fe3C/Tungsten Carbide/Graphitic Carbon Nanocomposite for Efficient Electrocatalysis of Oxygen Reduction

The oxygen-reduction reaction (ORR) draws an extensive attention in many applications, and there is a growing interest to develop effective ORR electrocatalysts. Iron carbide (Fe₃C) is a promising alternative to noble metals (e.g., platinum), but its performances need further improvement, and the real role of the Fe₃C phase remains unclear. In this study, we synthesize Fe₃C/tungsten carbide/graphitic carbon (Fe₃C/WC/GC) nanocomposites, with waste biomass (i.e., pomelo peel) serving as carbon source, using a facile, one-step carbon thermal-reduction method. The nanocomposite is characterized by a porous structure consisting of uniform Fe₃C nanoparticles encased by graphitic carbon (GC) layers with highly dispersed nanosized WC. The Fe₃C provides the active sites for ORR, while the graphitic layers and WC nanoparticles can stibilize the Fe₃C surface, preventing it from dissociation in the electrolyte. The Fe₃C/WC/GC nanocomposite is highly active, selective, and stable toward four-electron ORR in pH-neutral electrolyte, which results in a 67.82% higher power density than that of commercial Pt/C and negligible voltage decay during a long-term phase of a 33 cycle (2200 h) operation of a microbial fuel cell (MFC). The density functional theory (DFT) calculations suggest high activity for splitting the O-O bond of molecular oxygen on the surface of Fe₃C.

Adsorption, Thermodynamic and Quantum Chemical Studies of 1-hexyl-3-methylimidazolium Based Ionic Liquids as Corrosion Inhibitors for Mild Steel in HCl

The inhibition of mild steel corrosion in 1 M HCl solution by some ionic liquids (ILs) namely, 1-hexyl-3-methylimidazolium trifluoromethanesulfonate [HMIM][TfO], 1-hexyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate [HMIM][BF₄], 1-hexyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate [HMIM][PF₆], and 1-hexyl-3-methylimidazolium iodide [HMIM][I] was investigated using electrochemical measurements, spectroscopic analyses and quantum chemical calculations. All the ILs showed appreciably high inhibition efficiency. At 303 K, the results of electrochemical measurements indicated that the studied ILs are mixed-type inhibitors. The adsorption studies showed that all the four ILs adsorb spontaneously on steel surface with [HMIM][TfO], [HMIM][BF₄] and [HMIM][I] obeying Langmuir adsorption isotherm, while [HMIM][PF₆] conformed better with Temkin adsorption isotherm. Spectroscopic analyses suggested the formation of Fe/ILs complexes. Some quantum chemical parameters were calculated to corroborate experimental results.

Structures and energies of Cu clusters on Fe and Fe3C surfaces from density functional theory computation

Coverage and surface dependent adsorption configurations of Cu_n clusters on the Fe and Fe₃C surfaces.

Insight into CH(4) formation in iron-catalyzed Fischer-Tropsch synthesis

Spin-polarized density functional theory calculations have been performed to investigate the carbon pathways and hydrogenation mechanism for CH(4) formation on Fe(2)C(011), Fe(5)C(2)(010), Fe(3)C(001), and Fe(4)C(100). We find that the surface C atom occupied sites are more active toward CH(4) formation. In Fischer-Tropsch synthesis (FTS), CO direct dissociation is very difficult on perfect Fe(x)C(y) surfaces, while surface C atom hydrogenation could occur easily. With the formation of vacancy sites by C atoms escaping from the Fe(x)C(y) surface, the CO dissociation barrier decreases largely. As a consequence, the active carburized surface is maintained. Based on the calculated reaction energies and effective barriers, CH(4) formation is more favorable on Fe(5)C(2)(010) and Fe(2)C(011), while Fe(4)C(100) and Fe(3)C(001) are inactive toward CH(4) formation. More importantly, it is revealed that the reaction energy and effective barrier of CH(4) formation have a linear relationship with the charge of the surface C atom and the d-band center of the surface, respectively. On the basis of these correlations, one can predict the reactivity of all active surfaces by analyzing their surface properties and further give guides for catalyst design in FTS.

Bulk and surface analysis of Hägg Fe carbide (Fe(5)C(2)): a density functional theory study

A comprehensive density functional theory (DFT) study analysing the bulk and various low Miller index surfaces of Hägg Fe carbide (Fe(5)C(2)), considered to be the active phase in Fe-catalysed Fischer-Tropsch synthesis (FTS), has been carried out. The DFT determined bulk structure of Hägg Fe carbide (Fe(5)C(2)) is found to be in good agreement with reported monoclinic (C 2/c) XRD data, independently of whether a monoclinic (C 2/c) or triclinic ([Formula: see text]) bulk structure is used as input for calculations. Attention is focused on the construction of a surface energy stability trend with subsequent correlation with particular surface properties. It is found that a (010) Miller index plane results in the most stable surface (2.468 J m(-2)), while a (101) surface is the least stable (3.281 J m(-2)). The systematic comparison of calculated surface energies with surface properties such as the number of dangling bonds and surface atom density (within a broken bond model), as well as unrelaxed surface energies, relative ruggedness of surfaces, degree of surface relaxation upon optimization, total spin density changes of surfaces compared to the bulk, etc, result in only an approximate correlation with the surface stability trend in selected cases. From the results it is concluded that the relative surface energies fall in a narrow range and that a large number of additional surfaces may be defined, e.g. from higher Miller index planes, sharing similar surface energy values. The results serve to demonstrate the rich complexity and diverse nature of the Fe carbide phase responsible for FTS, effectively laying the foundation for further fundamental studies.