A pulsed field ionization photoelectron–photoion coincidence study of the dissociative photoionization process D2O+hν→OD++D+e−

An efficient nickel hydrogen oxidation catalyst for hydroxide exchange membrane fuel cells

The hydroxide exchange membrane fuel cell (HEMFC) is a promising energy conversion technology but is limited by the need for platinum group metal (PGM) electrocatalysts, especially for the hydrogen oxidation reaction (HOR). Here we report a Ni-based HOR catalyst that exhibits an electrochemical surface area-normalized exchange current density of 70 μA cm^-2, the highest among PGM-free catalysts. The catalyst comprises Ni nanoparticles embedded in a nitrogen-doped carbon support. According to X-ray and ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy as well as H₂ chemisorption data, the electronic interaction between the Ni nanoparticles and the support leads to balanced hydrogen and hydroxide binding energies, which are the likely origin of the catalyst's high activity. PGM-free HEMFCs employing this Ni-based HOR catalyst give a peak power density of 488 mW cm^-2, up to 6.4 times higher than previous best-performing analogous HEMFCs. This work demonstrates the feasibility of efficient PGM-free HEMFCs.

A vacuum ultraviolet laser pulsed field ionization-photoion study of methane (CH4): determination of the appearance energy of methylium from methane with unprecedented precision and the resulting impact on the bond dissociation energies of CH4and CH4+

High-resolution VUV laser PFI-PI detection method for the study of quantum-state-selected unimolecular ion dissociation.

Combined vacuum ultraviolet laser and synchrotron pulsed field ionization study of CH2BrCl

The pulsed field ionization-photoelectron (PFI-PE) spectrum of bromochloromethane (CH2BrCl) in the region of 85,320-88,200 cm-1 has been measured using vacuum ultraviolet laser. The vibrational structure resolved in the PFI-PE spectrum was assigned based on ab initio quantum chemical calculations and Franck-Condon factor predictions. At energies 0-1400 cm-1 above the adiabatic ionization energy (IE) of CH2BrCl, the Br-C-Cl bending vibration progression (nu1+=0-8) of CH2BrCl+ is well resolved and constitutes the major structure in the PFI-PE spectrum, whereas the spectrum at energies 1400-2600 cm-1 above the IE(CH2BrCl) is found to exhibit complex vibrational features, suggesting perturbation by the low lying excited CH2BrCl+(A 2A") state. The assignment of the PFI-PE vibrational bands gives the IE(CH2BrCl)=85,612.4+/-2.0 cm-1 (10.6146+/-0.0003 eV) and the bending frequencies nu1+(a1')=209.7+/-2.0 cm-1 for CH2BrCl+(X2A'). We have also examined the dissociative photoionization process, CH2BrCl+hnu-->CH2Cl++Br+e-, in the energy range of 11.36-11.57 eV using the synchrotron based PFI-PE-photoion coincidence method, yielding the 0 K threshold or appearance energy AE(CH2Cl+)=11.509+/-0.002 eV. Combining the 0 K AE(CH2Cl+) and IE(CH2BrCl) values obtained in this study, together with the known IE(CH2Cl), we have determined the 0 K bond dissociation energies (D0) for CH2Cl+-Br (0.894+/-0.002 eV) and CH2Cl-Br (2.76+/-0.01 eV). We have also performed CCSD(T, full)/complete basis set (CBS) calculations with high-level corrections for the predictions of the IE(CH2BrCl), AE(CH2Cl+), IE(CH2Cl), D0(CH2Cl+-Br), and D0(CH2Cl-Br). The comparison between the theoretical predictions and experimental determinations indicates that the CCSD(T, full)/CBS calculations with high-level corrections are highly reliable with estimated error limits of <17 meV.

Vacuum ultraviolet pulsed field ionization study of ND3: accurate thermochemistry for the ND2-ND2+ and ND3-ND3+ system

The dissociation of energy-selected ND(3) (+) to form ND(2) (+)+D near its threshold has been investigated using the pulsed field ionization-photoelectron (PFI-PE)-photoion coincidence method. The breakdown curves for ND(3) (+) and ND(2) (+) give a value of 15.891+/-0.001 eV for the 0 K dissociation threshold or appearance energy (AE) for ND(2) (+) from ND(3). We have also measured the PFI-PE vibrational bands for ND(3) (+)(X;v(2) (+)=0, 1, 2, and 3), revealing partially resolved rotational structures. The simulation of these bands yields precise ionization energies (IEs) for ND(3) (+) X(0,v(2) (+)=0-3,0,0)<--ND(3) X(0,0,0,0). Using the 0 K AE (ND(2) (+)) and IE(ND(3))=10.200+/-0.001 eV determined in the present study, together with the known 0 K bond dissociation energy for ND(3) [D(0)(D-ND(2))=4.7126+/-0.0025 eV], we have determined the D(0)(ND(2) (+)-D), IE(ND(2)), and 0 K heat of formation for ND(2) (+) to be 5.691+/-0.001 eV, 11.1784+/-0.0025 eV, and 1261.82+/-0.4 kJ/mol, respectively. The PFI-PE spectrum is found to exhibit a steplike feature near the AE(ND(2) (+)), indicating that the dissociation of excited ND(3) (+) at energies slightly above the dissociation threshold is prompt, occurring in the time scale </=10(-7) s, as observed for the NH(3) system. The available energetic data for the NH(2)-NH(2) (+) and NH(3)-NH(3) (+) system are found to be in excellent accord with those for the ND(2)-ND(2) (+) and ND(3)-ND(3) (+) system after taking into account the zero-point vibrational energy corrections. This finding indicates that the thermochemical data for these two systems are reliable with well-founded error limits.

Pulsed field-ionization photoelectron-photoion coincidence study of the process N2+hν→N++N+e−: Bond dissociation energies of N2 and N2+

We have examined the dissociative photoionization reaction N2+hnu-->N++N+e- near its threshold using the pulsed field-ionization photoelectron-photoion coincidence (PFI-PEPICO) time-of-flight (TOF) method. By examining the kinetic-energy release based on the simulation of the N+ PFI-PEPICO TOF peak profile as a function of vacuum ultraviolet photon energy and by analyzing the breakdown curves of N+ and N2+, we have determined the 0-K threshold or appearance energy (AE) of this reaction to be 24.2884+/-0.0010 eV. Using this 0-K AE, together with known ionization energies of N and N2, results in more precise values for the 0-K bond dissociation energies of N-N (9.7543+/-0.0010 eV) and N-N+ (8.7076+/-0.0010 eV) and the 0-K heats of formation for N (112.469+/-0.012 kcal/mol) and N+ (447.634+/-0.012 kcal/mol).

A high-resolution pulsed field ionization-photoelectron-photoion coincidence study of vinyl bromide

By employing the high-resolution pulsed field ionization-photoelectron (PFI-PE)-photoion coincidence method, we have examined the unimolecular dissociation reaction of energy-selected C(2)H(3)Br(+) to form C(2)H(3) (+)+Br near its threshold. The analysis of the breakdown curves for C(2)H(3)Br(+) and C(2)H(3) (+) yields a value of 11.9010+/-0.0015 eV for the 0 K dissociative photoionization threshold or appearance energy (AE) for C(2)H(3) (+) from C(2)H(3)Br. This AE(C(2)H(3) (+)) value, together with the ionization energy (IE) for C(2)H(3)Br (9.8200+/-0.0015 eV) obtained by PFI-PE and threshold photoelectron (TPE) measurements, has allowed the determination of the 0 K dissociation energy (D(0)) for the C(2)H(3) (+)-Br bond to be 2.081+/-0.002 eV. The 0 K AE(C(2)H(3) (+)) from C(2)H(3)Br obtained in this study corresponds to DeltaH(f0) ( composite function )(C(2)H(3) (+))=1123.7+/-1.9 kJ/mol. Combining the latter value and the known DeltaH(f0) ( composite function )(C(2)H(3))=306.7+/-2.1 kJ/mol, we calculated a value of 8.468+/-0.029 eV for the IE(C(2)H(3)), which is in accord with the result obtained in the previous photoionization efficiency study. We have also carried out high-level ab initio calculations for the IE(C(2)H(3)) at the Gaussian-3 and the CCSD(T,full)/CBS level of theory. The CCSD(T,full)/CBS prediction of 8.487 eV for the IE(C(2)H(3)-->bridged-C(2)H(3) (+)) is in good agreement with the IE(C(2)H(3)) value derived in the present experiment. Combining the 0 K AE(C(2)H(3) (+))=11.9010+/-0.0015 eV and the IE(C(2)H(3))=8.468+/-0.029 eV yields the value of 3.433+/-0.029 eV for D(0)(C(2)H(3)-Br). We have also recorded the TPE spectrum of C(2)H(3)Br in the energy range of 9.80-12.20 eV. Members (n=5-14) of four autoionizing Rydberg series converging to the C(2)H(3)Br(+)(A (2)A(')) state are observed in the TPE spectrum. The analysis of the converging limit of these Rydberg series and the vibrational TPE bands for C(2)H(3)Br(+)(A (2)A(')) has provided more precise values for the nu(6) (+) (1217+/-10 cm(-1)) and nu(8) (+) (478+/-8 cm(-1)) modes and the IE (10.9156+/-0.0010 eV) for the formation of C(2)H(3)Br(+)(A (2)A(')) from C(2)H(3)Br.