Thermodesorption studies of energetic properties of Ni/MgO-Al2O3 catalysts. Determination of adsorption energy distribution functions

Kinetic adsorption energy distributions of rough surfaces: a computational study

The adsorption energy distribution usually refers to localized monolayers of adsorbate at thermodynamic equilibrium. Many papers have been published that analyze its influence on adsorption isotherms, heats of adsorption, and adsorption kinetics. However, the adsorption energy distribution, in its classical thermodynamic equilibrium sense, may be not as useful as expected. This is because many important processes involving adsorption have dynamic character and reactant particles have a finite time for penetration of the adsorbent. The above suggests that some adsorption centers located in less accessible fragments of the surface can be invisible in a dynamic process. However, under conditions allowing the thermodynamic equilibrium such adsorption centers could noticeably contribute to the adsorption energy distribution. The aim of this work is to measure the adsorption energy distributions of special rough surfaces using a dynamic method. This method is based on the molecular dynamics simulation of an ideal gas flowing over a sample surface. The ideal gas particles penetrate the surface, and at the moment of collision of a gas particle with the surface the Lennard-Jones potential energy is calculated. This energy can be identified with the adsorption energy at a given point on the surface. The surfaces used in the calculations have been created using two surface growth models (i.e., random deposition and ballistic deposition). The application of these highly disordered surfaces enables us to draw some general conclusions about the properties of real surfaces that are usually far from any deterministic geometry.

How to distinguish energetic surface heterogeneity from electrostatic interactions in the case of hydrogen ion adsorption from solution onto oxides

It was shown that the adsorption of uncharged particles onto energetically heterogeneous surfaces with Gaussian-like distribution of adsorption energy can be described by the same adsorption isotherm as the adsorption of hydrogen ions from solution onto homogeneous oxide surfaces with surface potentials given by a quasi-Nernst formula. It exemplifies that the separation of electrostatic from energetic factors in the case of ion adsorption onto heterogeneous oxide surfaces is very difficult. Nevertheless, application of calorimetric data for proton adsorption makes it possible to estimate both factors.

On the equilibrium nature of thermodesorption processes. TPD-NH3 studies of surface acidity of Ni/MgO-Al2O3 catalysts

This article deals with a quantitative analysis of thermodesorption spectra of ammonia: a technique commonly applied to study the surface acidity of solids. The method used for determination of adsorption energy distributions of ammonia is the same as that published recently for the case of hydrogen thermodesorption (Panczyk, T.; et al. Langmuir 2005, 21, 7311). The developed theoretical expression describing the thermodesorption process is based on the statistical rate theory (SRT) and its analysis leads to the conclusion that majority of thermodesorption processes, carried out under flow conditions, are in fact quasi-equilibrium ones. Similar conclusion has already been drawn by some authors applying the classical absolute rate theory (ART) for analysis of thermodesorption data. This conclusion has important practical consequences. Namely, it greatly simplifies the quantitative analysis of thermodesorption processes since there is no need to use any kinetic approaches to that purpose. The quantitative analysis of thermodesorption spectra can thus be based on commonly accepted relations following from equilibrium thermodynamics. It is worth noting that in quasiequilibrium conditions either the SRT or the ART lead to this same expression with only a slightly different meaning of some constants. Thus, in quasiequilibrium conditions there is no need to decide which theoretical approach should be applied. As an illustration, the ammonia thermodesorption spectra from the modified nickel catalysts are analyzed. The catalysts were prepared by the coprecipitation method and differ by the amount of MgO and NiO, whereas the amount of Al(2)O(3) is constant and equals 30%. It was stated that the presence of MgO reduces the number of acid centers corresponding to high values of ammonia adsorption energy.

Sticking coefficient and pressure dependence of desorption rate in the statistical rate theory approach to the kinetics of gas adsorption. Carbon monoxide adsorption/desorption rates on the polycrystalline rhodium surface

The statistical rate theory (SRT) fundamental kinetic equation for the Langmuir model of adsorption reveals some features which are difficult to understand. These are the infinitely high adsorption rate for zero coverage limit, infinitely high desorption rate at full saturation of the surface and dependence of the desorption rate on the adsorbate pressure. These features do not allow for a correct formulation of such important physical parameters as sticking and initial sticking probabilities. In this work these peculiar features of the fundamental SRT kinetic equation are discussed and explained. It is shown that the non-physical behavior of the SRT kinetic equation follows from neglecting possible changes of adsorbate concentration near the adsorbing surface. A simple model accounting for the changes of adsorbate concentration close to the adsorbing surface is discussed. As a result, it was shown that application of even such a simple model leads to fully physical behavior of the SRT kinetic equation for the Langmuir model of adsorption. The model is used to build up equations describing the kinetics of adsorption/desorption of carbon monoxide on the energetically heterogeneous rhodium surface. The values of the parameters in these equations were determined from the analysis of equilibrium adsorption isotherms and from the description of experimental conditions. One additional parameter (having well defined limiting values) had to be adjusted in order to satisfactorily reproduce kinetic data. The experimental data used in this work were taken from the article by Yamada and Tamaru (T. Yamada and K. Tamaru, Surf. Sci., 1984, 138, L155).

Collisions of ideal gas molecules with a rough/fractal surface. A computational study

The frequency of collisions of ideal gas molecules (argon) with a rough surface has been studied. The rough/fractal surface was created using random deposition technique. By applying various depositions, the roughness of the surface was controlled and, as a measure of the irregularity, the fractal dimensions of the surfaces were determined. The surfaces were next immersed in argon (under pressures 2 x 10(3) to 2 x 10(5) Pa) and the numbers of collisions with these surfaces were counted. The calculations were carried out using a simplified molecular dynamics simulation technique (only hard core repulsions were assumed). As a result, it was stated that the frequency of collisions is a linear function of pressure for all fractal dimensions studied (D = 2, ..., 2.5). The frequency per unit pressure is quite complex function of the fractal dimension; however, the changes of that frequency with the fractal dimension are not strong. It was found that the frequency of collisions is controlled by the number of weakly folded sites on the surfaces and there is some mapping between the shape of adsorption energy distribution functions and this number of weakly folded sites. The results for the rough/fractal surfaces were compared with the prediction given by the Langmuir-Hertz equation (valid for smooth surface), generally the departure from the Langmuir-Hertz equation is not higher than 48% for the studied systems (i.e. for the surfaces created using the random deposition technique).