Effect of pre-covered oxygen on the dehydrogenation reactions over copper surface: a density functional theory study

Effect of Impurity Atoms on the Adsorption/Dissociation of Hydrogen Sulfide and Hydrogen Diffusion on the Fe(100) Surface

In the actual environment, impurity atoms significantly affect the adsorption/dissociation of gas molecules on the substrate surface and in turn promote or impede the formation of subsequent products. In this study, we investigate the effects of three kinds of impurity atoms (H, O, and S) on the adsorption/dissociation of hydrogen sulfide (H₂S) and hydrogen (H) diffusion processes by using the density functional theory method. We found that impurity atoms can change the charge density distribution of the surface and thus affect the adsorption/dissociation process of H₂S. The existence of a H atom reduces the dissociation barrier of H₂S. The adsorption site of H₂S near the O atom is transferred from the bridge site to the adjacent top site and the first-order dissociation barrier of H₂S is 0.07 eV, which is prominently lower than that of the pristine surface (0.28 eV). The presence of a S atom transfers the adsorption site of H₂S to a farther bridge site and effectively affects the dissociation process of H₂S. Both O and S atoms hinder the dissociation process of HS. Moreover, the diffusion process of H atoms to the subsurface can be slightly impeded by the O atom. Our work theoretically explains the influence mechanism of impurity atoms on the adsorption/dissociation of H₂S and H diffusion behavior on the Fe(100) surface.

Formic acid adsorption and decomposition on clean and atomic oxygen pre-covered Cu(100) surfaces

Formic acid adsorption and decomposition on clean Cu(100) and two atomic oxygen pre-covered Cu(100) surfaces have been studied using surface science techniques including scanning tunneling microscopy, low-energy electron diffraction, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and infrared reflection-absorption spectroscopy. The two atomic oxygen pre-covered Cu(100) surfaces include an O-(22 ×2)R45° Cu(100) surface and an oxygen modified Cu(100) surface with a local O-c(2 × 2) structure. The results show that the O-(22 ×2)R45° Cu(100) surface is inert to the formic acid adsorption at 300 K. After exposing to formic acid at 300 K, bidentate formate formed on the clean Cu(100) and local O-c(2 × 2) area of the oxygen modified Cu(100) surface. However, their adsorption geometries are different, being vertical to the surface plane on the former surface and inclined with respect to the surface normal with an ordered structure on the latter surface. The temperature programmed desorption spectra indicate that the formate species adsorbed on the clean Cu(100) surface decomposes into H₂ and CO₂ when the sample temperature is higher than 390 K. Differently, the proton from scission of the C-H bond of formate reacts with the surface oxygen, forming H₂O on the oxygen modified Cu(100) surface. The CO₂ signal starts increasing at about 370 K, which is lower than that on clean Cu(100), indicating that the surface oxygen affiliates formate decomposition. Combining all these results, we conclude that the surface oxygen plays a crucial role in formic acid adsorption and formate decomposition.

The chemical origin and catalytic activity of coinage metals: from oxidation to dehydrogenation

Electronegative adspecies on inactive coinage metals can dramatically enhance their catalytic activity for oxidation as well as dehydrogenation reactions.

FORMIC ACID DEHYDROGENATION ON SURFACES — A REVIEW OF COMPUTATIONAL ASPECT

In this review, we have mainly shown the recent computational studies on formic acid adsorption and selective dissociation to produce hydrogen ( HCOOH → CO 2 + H 2) on several metal ( Pt , Pd , Ni , Cu , Rh and Au ) and metal oxide ( TiO 2, MgO , ZnO and NiO ) surfaces, and both thermal decomposition and electro-catalytic oxidation have been discussed. The decomposition mechanisms of formic acid have been studied by using different computational models and methods, not only interesting and exciting but also different and controversial results have been reported. It is noted that the model systems used in these studies are too simple and idealized, and they cannot represent the real catalysts or the catalytic systems, and more sophisticated computational methodologies and real model systems under the consideration of the working conditions are therefore needed.

Theoretical study of C-H and N-H sigma-bond activation reactions by titinium(IV)-imido complex. Good understanding based on orbital interaction and theoretical proposal for N-H sigma-bond activation of ammonia

The C-H sigma-bond activation of methane and the N-H sigma-bond activation of ammonia by (Me3SiO)2Ti(=NSiMe3) 1 were theoretically investigated with DFT, MP2 to MP4(SDQ), and CCSD(T) methods. The C-H sigma-bond activation of methane takes place with an activation barrier (Ea) of 14.6 (21.5) kcal/mol and a reaction energy (DeltaE) of -22.7 (-16.5) kcal/mol to afford (Me3SiO)2Ti(Me)[NH(SiMe3)], where DFT- and MP4(SDQ)-calculated values are given without and in parentheses, respectively, hereafter. The electron population of the CH3 group increases, but the H atomic population decreases upon going to the transition state from the precursor complex, which indicates that the C-H sigma-bond activation occurs in heterolytic manner unlike the oxidative addition. The Ti atomic population considerably increases upon going to the transition state from the precursor complex, which indicates that the charge transfer (CT) occurs from methane to Ti. These population changes are induced by the orbital interactions among the d(pi)-p(pi) bonding orbital of the Ti=NSiMe3 moiety, the Ti d(z2) orbital and the C-H sigma-bonding and sigma*-antibonding orbitals of methane. The reverse regioselective C-H sigma-bond activation which leads to formation of (Me3SiO)2Ti(H)[NMe(SiMe3)] takes place with a larger Ea value and smaller exothermicity. The reasons are discussed in terms of Ti-H, Ti-CH3, Ti-NH3, N-H, and N-CH3 bond energies and orbital interactions in the transition state. The N-H sigma-bond activation of ammonia takes place in a heterolytic manner with a larger Ea value of 19.0 (27.9) kcal/mol and considerably larger exothermicity of -45.0 (-39.4) kcal/mol than those of the C-H sigma-bond activation. The N-H sigma-bond activation of ammonia by a Ti-alkylidyne complex, [(PNP)Ti(CSiMe3)] 3 (PNP = N-[2-(PH2)2-phenyl]2-]) ,was also investigated. This reaction takes place with a smaller E(a) value of 7.5 (15.3) kcal/mol and larger exothermicity of -60.2 (-56.1) kcal/mol. These results lead us to predict that the N-H sigma-bond activation of ammonia can be achieved by these complexes.