Surface Refaceting Mechanism on Cubic Ceria

A catalytic perspective to nanomaterials reactivity-based toxicity; implications for single- and multiple-component nanomaterials (nanocomposites)

The extended use of a given product normally precedes concerns about it. The reactivity-based nanotoxicity is a major concern that must be tackled from its fundamental understanding to its regulatory management. Moreover, concepts and ideas must seamlessly flow between relevant performers. Functional nanomaterials have been used in many fields; among these, catalysis is probably the earliest more extended application of nanomaterials, these are engineered to afford specific properties, and are typically known as Engineered Nanomaterials (ENMs). Heterogenous catalysis shares its basic features with reactivity-based toxicity. In both cases, we are dealing with phenomena triggered by reactions occurring at the surface of the nanomaterial. Therefore, the extensive knowledge in heterogeneous catalysis is key to understanding reactivity-based nanotoxicology. In this regard, determining surface exposure is fundamental to mechanistically comprehend dose-response, similar to how catalysis shifted from mass-based to surface-centered metrics. Catalysis science made a further refinement iteration: reactions occur at surfaces, though not all surfaces are necessarily reactive, making it crucial to normalize per reactive site. This perspective focuses on two key aspects that link heterogeneous catalysis and reactivity-based nanotoxicity: the reactive sites on the surface of nanomaterials and how different combinations of nanomaterials appear and perform. A comment is also made regarding the somewhat vague term 'multicomponent nanomaterial,' which is contrasted with the well-defined, established, and widely accepted term 'nanocomposite' within the chemical community. Clear and precise terminology and concepts are essential for effective research and regulation.

CO adsorption on CeO2(111): A CCSD(T) benchmark study using an embedded-cluster model

A benchmark model that combines an embedded-cluster approach for ionic surfaces with wavefunction-based methods to predict the vibrational frequencies of molecules adsorbed on surfaces is presented. As a representative case, the adsorption of CO on the lowest index non-polar and most stable facet of CeO2, that is, (111) was studied. The CO harmonic vibrational frequencies were not scaled semiempirically but explicitly corrected for anharmonic effects, which amount to about 25 cm-1 with all tested methods. The second-order Møller-Plesset perturbation method (MP2) tends to underestimate the CO harmonic frequency by about 40-45 cm-1 in comparison with the results obtained with the coupled-cluster singles and doubles with perturbational treatment of triple excitation method [CCSD(T)] and independently from the basis set used. The best estimate for the CO vibrational frequency (low-coverage case) differs by 12 cm-1 with the experimental value obtained by infrared reflexion absorption spectroscopy of 1 monolayer CO adsorbed on the oxidized CeO2(111) surface. In addition, a conservative estimate of the adsorption energy of about -0.22 ± -0.07 eV obtained at the CCSD(T) level confirms the physisorption character of the adsorption of CO on the CeO2(111) surface.

Surface Structure and Chemistry of CeO2 Powder Catalysts Determined by Surface-Ligand Infrared Spectroscopy (SLIR)

ConspectusCerium is the most abundant rare earth element in the Earth's crust. Its most stable oxide, cerium dioxide (CeO2, ceria), is increasingly utilized in the field of catalysis. It can catalyze redox and acid-base reactions, and serve as a component of electrocatalysts and even photocatalysts. As one of the most commonly used in situ/operando characterization methods in catalysis, infrared (IR) spectroscopy is routinely employed to monitor reaction intermediates on the surface of solid catalysts, offering profound insight into reaction mechanisms. Additionally, IR vibrational frequencies of probe molecules adsorbed on solid catalysts provide detailed information about their structure and chemical states. Numerous studies in the literature have utilized carbon monoxide and methanol as IR probe molecules on ceria particles. However, assigning their vibrational frequencies is often highly controversial due to the great complexity of the actual surface of ceria particles, which include differently oriented crystal facets, reconstructions, defects, and other structural variations. In our laboratory, taking bulk ceria single crystals with distinct orientations as model systems, we employed a highly sensitive ultrahigh vacuum (UHV) infrared spectroscopy system (THEO) to study the adsorption of CO and methanol. It turns out that the theoretical calculations adopting hybrid functionals (HSE06) can bring the theoretical predictions into agreement with the experimental results for the CO frequencies on ceria single crystal surfaces. The obtained frequencies serve as reliable references to resolve the long-standing controversial assignments for the IR bands of CO and methanol adsorbed on ceria particles. Furthermore, these characteristic frequencies allow for the determination of orientations, oxidation states and restructuring of exposed crystal facets of ceria nanoparticles, which is applicable from UHV conditions to industrially relevant pressures of up to 1 bar, and from low temperatures (∼65 K) to high temperatures (∼1000 K). We also used molecular oxygen as a probe molecule to investigate its interaction with the ceria surface, crucial for understanding ceria's redox properties. Our findings reveal that the localization of oxygen vacancies and the mechanism of dioxygen activation are highly sensitive to surface orientations. We provided the first spectroscopic evidence showing that the oxygen vacancies on ceria (111) surfaces tend to localize in deep layers. In addition, we employed N2O as a probe molecule to elucidate the origin of the photocatalytic activity of ceria and showed that the photocatalytic activity is highly sensitive to the surface orientation (i.e., surface coordination structure). This Account shows that probe-molecule infrared spectroscopy serves as a powerful in situ/operando tool for studying the surface structure and chemistry of solid catalysts, and the knowledge gained through the "Surface Science" approach is essential as a crucial benchmark.

Highly Active Oxidation Catalysts through Confining Pd Clusters on CeO2 Nano-Islands

CeO2-supported noble metal clusters are attractive catalytic materials for several applications. However, their atomic dispersion under oxidizing reaction conditions often leads to catalyst deactivation. In this study, the noble metal cluster formation threshold is rationally adjusted by using a mixed CeO2-Al2O3 support. The preferential location of Pd on CeO2 islands leads to a high local surface noble metal concentration and promotes the in situ formation of small Pd clusters at a rather low noble metal loading (0.5 wt %), which are shown to be the active species for CO conversion at low temperatures. As elucidated by complementary in situ/operando techniques, the spatial separation of CeO2 islands on Al2O3 confines the mobility of Pd, preventing the full redispersion or the formation of larger noble metal particles and maintaining a high CO oxidation activity at low temperatures. In a broader perspective, this approach to more efficiently use the noble metal can be transferred to further systems and reactions in heterogeneous catalysis.

A CeO2 (100) surface reconstruction unveiled by in situ STEM and particle swarm optimization techniques

The reconstruction of the polar CeO2 (100) surface has been a subject of long-standing debates due to its complexity and the limited availability of experimental data. Herein, we successfully reveal a CeO2 (100)-(4 × 6) surface reconstruction by combining in situ spherical aberration-corrected scanning transmission electron microscopy, density functional theory calculations, and a particle swarm optimization-based algorithm for structure searching. We have further elucidated the stabilizing mechanism of the reconstructed structure, which involves the splitting of the filled Ce(4f) states and the mixing of the lower-lying ones with the O(2p) orbitals, as evidenced by the projected density of states. We also reveal that the surface chemisorption properties toward water molecules, an important step in numerous heterogeneous catalytic reactions, are enhanced. These insights into the distinct properties of ceria surface pave the way for performance improvements of ceria in a wide range of applications.

N2 as an Efficient IR Probe Molecule for the Investigation of Ceria-Containing Materials

Ceria and ceria-based catalysts are very important in redox and acid-base catalysis. Nanoceria have also been found to be important in biomedical applications. To design efficient materials, it is necessary to thoroughly understand the surface chemistry of ceria, and one of the techniques that provides such information about the surface is the vibrational spectroscopy of probe molecules. Although the most commonly used probe is CO, it has some disadvantages when applied to ceria and ceria-based catalysts. CO can easily reduce the material, forming carbonate-like species, and can be disproportionate, thus modifying the surface. Here, we offer a pioneering study of the adsorption of 15N2 at 100 K, demonstrating that dinitrogen can be more advantageous than CO when studying ceria-based materials. As an inert gas, N2 is not able to oxidize or reduce cerium cations and does not form any surface anionic species able to modify the surface. It is infrared and transparent, and thus there is no need to subtract the gas phase spectrum, something that often increases the noise level. Being a weaker base than CO, N2 has a negligible induction effect. By using stoichiometric nano-shaped ceria samples, we concluded that 15N2 can distinguish between surface Ce4+ sites on different, low index planes; with cations on the {110} facets and on some of the edges, Ce4+-15N2 species with IR bands at 2258-2257 cm-1 are formed. Bridging species, where one of the N atoms from the molecule interacts with two Ce4+ cations, are formed on the {100} facets (2253-2252 cm-1), while the interaction with the {111} facets is very weak and does not lead to the formation of measurable amounts of complexes. All species are formed by electrostatic interaction and disappear during evacuation at 100 K. In addition, N2 provides more accurate information than CO on the acidity of the different OH groups because it does not change the binding mode of the hydroxyls.

Coherent Erbium Spin Defects in Colloidal Nanocrystal Hosts

We demonstrate nearly a microsecond of spin coherence in Er3+ ions doped in cerium dioxide nanocrystal hosts, despite a large gyromagnetic ratio and nanometric proximity of the spin defect to the nanocrystal surface. The long spin coherence is enabled by reducing the dopant density below the instantaneous diffusion limit in a nuclear spin-free host material, reaching the limit of a single erbium spin defect per nanocrystal. We observe a large Orbach energy in a highly symmetric cubic site, further protecting the coherence in a qubit that would otherwise rapidly decohere. Spatially correlated electron spectroscopy measurements reveal the presence of Ce3+ at the nanocrystal surface, which likely acts as extraneous paramagnetic spin noise. Even with these factors, defect-embedded nanocrystal hosts show tremendous promise for quantum sensing and quantum communication applications, with multiple avenues, including core-shell fabrication, redox tuning of oxygen vacancies, and organic surfactant modification, available to further enhance their spin coherence and functionality in the future.

Structure and Chemical Reactivity of Y-Stabilized ZrO2 Surfaces: Importance for the Water-Gas Shift Reaction

The surface structure and chemical properties of Y-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) have been subjects of intense debate over the past three decades. However, a thorough understanding of chemical processes occurring at YSZ powders faces significant challenges due to the absence of reliable reference data acquired for well-controlled model systems. Here, we present results from polarization-resolved infrared reflection absorption spectroscopy (IRRAS) obtained for differently oriented, Y-doped ZrO2 single-crystal surfaces after exposure to CO and D2O. The IRRAS data reveal that the polar YSZ(100) surface undergoes reconstruction, characterized by an unusual, red-shifted CO band at 2132 cm-1. Density functional theory calculations allowed to relate this unexpected observation to under-coordinated Zr4+ cations in the vicinity of doping-induced O vacancies. This reconstruction leads to a strongly increased chemical reactivity and water spontaneously dissociates on YSZ(100). The latter, which is an important requirement for catalysing the water-gas-shift (WGS) reaction, is absent for YSZ(111), where only associative adsorption was observed. Together with a novel analysis Scheme these reference data allowed for an operando characterisation of YSZ powders using DRIFTS (diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy). These findings facilitate rational design and tuning of YSZ-based powder materials for catalytic applications, in particular CO oxidation and the WGS reaction.

Composition-dependent morphologies of CeO2 nanoparticles in the presence of Co-adsorbed H2O and CO2: a density functional theory study

Catalytic activity is affected by surface morphology, and specific surfaces display greater activity than others. A key challenge is to define synthetic strategies to enhance the expression of more active surfaces and to maintain their stability during the lifespan of the catalyst. In this work, we outline an ab initio approach, based on density functional theory, to predict surface composition and particle morphology as a function of environmental conditions, and we apply this to CeO2 nanoparticles in the presence of co-adsorbed H2O and CO2 as an industrially relevant test case. We find that dissociative adsorption of both molecules is generally the most favourable, and that the presence of H2O can stabilise co-adsorbed CO2. We show that changes in adsorption strength with temperature and adsorbate partial pressure lead to significant changes in surface stability, and in particular that co-adsorption of H2O and CO2 stabilizes the {100} and {110} surfaces over the {111} surface. Based on the changes in surface free energy induced by the adsorbed species, we predict that cuboidal nanoparticles are favoured in the presence of co-adsorbed H2O and CO2, suggesting that cuboidal particles should experience a lower thermodynamic driving force to reconstruct and thus be more stable as catalysts for processes involving these species.

Refining the mechanism of CO2 and H2 activation over gold-ceria catalysts by IR modulation excitation spectroscopy

The activation and utilization of the greenhouse gas CO2 is of great interest for the energy transition as a fossil-free carbon source for mitigating climate change. CO2 hydrogenation via the reverse water-gas shift reaction (RWGSR) converts CO2 to CO, a crucial component of syngas, enabling further transformation by means of the Fischer-Tropsch process. In this study, we unravel the detailed mechanism of the RWGSR on low-loaded Au/CeO2 catalysts using IR modulation excitation spectroscopy (MES), by periodically modulating the concentration of the reactants, followed by phase-sensitive detection (PSD). Applying such a MES-PSD approach to Au/CeO2 catalysts during RWGSR gives direct spectroscopic evidence for the active role of gold hydride, bidentate carbonate and hydroxyl species in the reaction mechanism, while disproving the participation of other species such as formate. Our results highlight the potential of modulation excitation spectroscopy combined with phase-sensitive detection to provide new mechanistic insight into catalytic reactions not accessible by steady-state techniques, including a profound understanding of the sequence of reaction steps.

In Situ Visualization and Mechanistic Understandings on Facet-Dependent Atomic Redispersion of Platinum on CeO2

Redispersion is an effective method for regeneration of sintered metal-supported catalysts. However, the ambiguous mechanistic understanding hinders the delicate controlling of active metals at the atomic level. Herein, the redispersion mechanism of atomically dispersed Pt on CeO2 is revealed and manipulated by in situ techniques combining well-designed model catalysts. Pt nanoparticles (NPs) sintered on CeO2 nano-octahedra under reduction and oxidation conditions, while redispersed on CeO2 nanocubes above ∼500 °C in an oxidizing atmosphere. The dynamic shrinkage and disappearance of Pt NPs on CeO2 (100) facets was directly visualized by in situ TEM. The generated atomically dispersed Pt with the square-planar [PtO4]2+ structure on CeO2 (100) facets was also confirmed by combining Cs-corrected STEM and spectroscopy techniques. The redispersion and atomic control were ascribed to the high mobility of PtO2 at high temperatures and its strong binding with square-planar O4 sites over CeO2 (100). These understandings are important for the regulation of atomically dispersed platinum catalysts.

Traces of Potassium Induce Restructuring of the Anatase TiO2(001)-(1×4) Surface from a Reactive to an Inert Structure

Reconstruction of solid surfaces is generally accompanied by changes in surface activities. Here, via a combined experimental and theoretical study, we successfully identified that a trace amount of potassium dopant restructures the mineral anatase TiO2(001) single-crystal surface from an added molecule (ADM) termination to an added oxygen (AOM) one without changing the (1×4) periodicity. The anatase TiO2(001)-(1×4)-ADM surface terminated with 4-fold coordinated Ti4c and 2-fold coordinated O2c sites is (photo)catalytically active, whereas the anatase TiO2(001)-(1×4)-AOM surface terminated with O2c and inaccessible 5-fold coordinated Ti5c sites is inert. These results unveiled a mechanism of dopant-induced transformation from a reactive to an inert TiO2(001)-(1×4) surface, which unifies the existing arguments about the surface structures and (photo)catalytic activity of anatase TiO2(001)-(1×4).

Memory-dictated dynamics of single-atom Pt on CeO2 for CO oxidation

Single atoms of platinum group metals on CeO₂ represent a potential approach to lower precious metal requirements for automobile exhaust treatment catalysts. Here we show the dynamic evolution of two types of single-atom Pt (Pt₁) on CeO₂, i.e., adsorbed Pt₁ in Pt/CeO₂ and square planar Pt₁ in Pt_ATCeO₂, fabricated at 500 °C and by atom-trapping method at 800 °C, respectively. Adsorbed Pt₁ in Pt/CeO₂ is mobile with the in situ formation of few-atom Pt clusters during CO oxidation, contributing to high reactivity with near-zero reaction order in CO. In contrast, square planar Pt₁ in Pt_ATCeO₂ is strongly anchored to the support during CO oxidation leading to relatively low reactivity with a positive reaction order in CO. Reduction of both Pt/CeO₂ and Pt_ATCeO₂ in CO transforms Pt₁ to Pt nanoparticles. However, both catalysts retain the memory of their initial Pt₁ state after reoxidative treatments, which illustrates the importance of the initial single-atom structure in practical applications.

Shape-Controlled Pathways in the Hydrogen Production from Ethanol Steam Reforming over Ceria Nanoparticles

The ethanol surface reaction over CeO₂ nanooctahedra (NO) and nanocubes (NC), which mainly expose (111) and (100) surfaces, respectively, was studied by means of infrared spectroscopy (TPSR-IR), mass spectrometry (TPSR-MS), and density functional theory (DFT) calculations. TPSR-MS results show that the production of H₂ is 2.4 times higher on CeO₂-NC than on CeO₂-NO, which is rationalized starting from the different types of adsorbed ethoxy species controlled by the shape of the ceria particles. Over the CeO₂(111) surface, monodentate type I and II ethoxy species with the alkyl chain perpendicular or parallel to the surface, respectively, were identified. Meanwhile, on the CeO₂(100) surface, bidentate and monodentate type III ethoxy species on the checkerboard O-terminated surface and on a pyramid of the reconstructed (100) surface, respectively, are found. The more labile surface ethoxy species on each ceria nanoshape, which are the monodentate type I or III ethoxy on CeO₂-NO and CeO₂-NC, respectively, react on the surface to give acetate species that decompose to CO₂ and CH₄, while H₂ is formed via the recombination of hydroxyl species. In addition, the more stable monodentate type II and bidentate ethoxy species on CeO₂-NO and CeO₂-NC, respectively, give an ethylenedioxy intermediate, the binding of which is facet-dependent. On the (111) facet, the less strongly bound ethylenedioxy desorbs as ethylene, whereas on the (100) facet, the more strongly bound intermediate also produces CO₂ and H₂ via formate species. Thus, on the (100) facet, an additional pathway toward H₂ formation is found. ESR activity measurements show an enhanced H₂ production on the nanocubes.

Facet-dependent stability of near-surface oxygen vacancies and excess charge localization at CeO2surfaces

To study the dependence of the relative stability of surface (V^A) and subsurface (V^B) oxygen vacancies with the crystal facet of CeO₂, the reduced (100), (110) and (111) surfaces, with two different concentrations of vacancies, were investigated by means of density functional theory (DFT + U) calculations. The results show that the trend in the near-surface vacancy formation energies for comparable vacancy spacings, i.e. (110) < (100) < (111), does not follow the one in the surface stability of the facets, i.e. (111) < (110) < (100). The results also reveal that the preference of vacancies for surface or subsurface sites, as well as the preferred location of the associated Ce³⁺polarons, are facet- and concentration-dependent. At the higher vacancy concentration, theV^Ais more stable than theV^Bat the (110) facet whereas at the (111), it is the other way around, and at the (100) facet, both theV^Aand theV^Bhave similar stability. The stability of theV^Avacancies, compared to that of theV^B, is accentuated as the concentration decreases. Nearest neighbor polarons to the vacant sites are only observed for the less densely packed (110) and (100) facets. These findings are rationalized in terms of the packing density of the facets, the lattice relaxation effects induced by vacancy formation and the localization of the excess charge, as well as the repulsive Ce³⁺-Ce³⁺interactions.

In Situ Generation of the Surface Oxygen Vacancies in a Copper-Ceria Catalyst for the Water-Gas Shift Reaction

The dissociation of H₂O is a crucial aspect for the water-gas shift reaction, which often occurs on the vacancies of a reducible oxide support. However, the vacancies sometimes run off, thus inhibiting H₂O dissociation. After high-temperature treatment, the ceria supports were lacking vacancies because of sintering. Unexpectedly, the in situ generation of surface oxygen vacancies was observed, ensuring the efficient dissociation of H₂O. Due to the surface reconstruction of ceria nanorods, the copper species sustained were highly dispersed on the sintered support, on which CO was adsorbed efficiently to react with hydroxyls from H₂O dissociation. In contrast, no surface reconstruction occurred in ceria nanoparticles, leading to the sintering of copper species. The sintered copper species were averse to adsorb CO, so the copper-ceria nanoparticle catalyst had poor reactivity even when surface oxygen vacancies could be generated in situ.

Tailoring the Local Environment of Platinum in Single-Atom Pt1 /CeO2 Catalysts for Robust Low-Temperature CO Oxidation

A single-atom Pt₁ /CeO₂ catalyst formed by atom trapping (AT, 800 °C in air) shows excellent thermal stability but is inactive for CO oxidation at low temperatures owing to over-stabilization of Pt²⁺ in a highly symmetric square-planar Pt₁ O₄ coordination environment. Reductive activation to form Pt nanoparticles (NPs) results in enhanced activity; however, the NPs are easily oxidized, leading to drastic activity loss. Herein we show that tailoring the local environment of isolated Pt²⁺ by thermal-shock (TS) synthesis leads to a highly active and thermally stable Pt₁ /CeO₂ catalyst. Ultrafast shockwaves (>1200 °C) in an inert atmosphere induced surface reconstruction of CeO₂ to generate Pt single atoms in an asymmetric Pt₁ O₄ configuration. Owing to this unique coordination, Pt₁ ^δ+ in a partially reduced state dynamically evolves during CO oxidation, resulting in exceptional low-temperature performance. CO oxidation reactivity on the Pt₁ /CeO₂ _TS catalyst was retained under oxidizing conditions.

Vibrational Frequencies of Cerium-Oxide-Bound CO: A Challenge for Conventional DFT Methods

In ceria-based catalysis, the shape of the catalyst particle, which determines the exposed crystal facets, profoundly affects its reactivity. The vibrational frequency of adsorbed carbon monoxide (CO) can be used as a sensitive probe to identify the exposed surface facets, provided reference data on well-defined single crystal surfaces together with a definitive theoretical assignment exist. We investigate the adsorption of CO on the CeO_{2}(110) and (111) surfaces and show that the commonly applied DFT(PBE)+U method does not provide reliable CO vibrational frequencies by comparing with state-of-the-art infrared spectroscopy experiments for monocrystalline CeO_{2} surfaces. Good agreement requires the hybrid DFT approach with the HSE06 functional. The failure of conventional density-functional theory (DFT) is explained in terms of its inability to accurately describe the facet- and configuration-specific donation and backdonation effects that control the changes in the C─O bond length upon CO adsorption and the CO force constant. Our findings thus provide a theoretical basis for the detailed interpretation of experiments and open up the path to characterize more complex scenarios, including oxygen vacancies and metal adatoms.