CO oxidation on h-BN supported Au atom

Advances in Naked Metal Clusters for Catalysis

The properties of sub-nano metal clusters are governed by quantum confinement and their large surface-to-bulk ratios, atomically precise compositions and geometric/electronic structures. Advances in metal clusters lead to new opportunities in diverse aspects of sciences including chemo-sensing, bio-imaging, photochemistry, and catalysis. Naked metal clusters having synergic multiple active sites and coordinative unsaturation and tunable stability/activity enable researchers to design atomically precise metal catalysts with tailored catalysis for different reactions. Here we summarize the progress of ligand-free naked metal clusters for catalytic applications. It is anticipated that this review helps to better understand the chemistry of small metal clusters and facilitates the design and development of new catalysts for potential applications.

Morphology-dependent adsorption energetics of Ru nanoparticles on hcp-boron nitride (001) surface - a first-principles study

Active B₅-sites on Ru catalysts can be exploited for various catalytic applications; in particular, the epitaxial formation of Ru nanoparticles with hexagonal planar morphologies on hexagonal boron nitride sheets increases the number of active B₅-sites along the nanoparticle edges. The energetics of adsorption of Ru nanoparticles on hexagonal boron nitride were investigated using density functional theory calculations. Then, to understand the fundamental reason for this morphology control, adsorption studies and charge density analysis were performed on fcc and hcp Ru nanoparticles heteroepitaxially formed on a hexagonal boron nitride support. Among the explored morphologies, hcp Ru(0001) nanoparticles exhibited the highest adsorption strength of -31.656 eV. To verify the hexagonal planar morphologies of the hcp-Ru nanoparticles, three different hcp-Ru(0001) nanoparticles-Ru60, Ru53, and Ru 41-were adsorbed onto the BN substrate. In agreement with the experimental studies, the hcp-Ru60 nanoparticles exhibited the highest adsorption energy owing to their long-range and perfect hexagonal match with the interacting hcp-BN(001) substrate.

Coadsorption Interfered CO Oxidation over Atomically Dispersed Au on h-BN

Similar to the metal centers in biocatalysis and homogeneous catalysis, the metal species in single atom catalysts (SACs) are charged, atomically dispersed and stabilized by support and substrate. The reaction condition dependent catalytic performance of SACs has long been realized, but seldom investigated before. We investigated CO oxidation pathways over SACs in reaction conditions using atomically dispersed Au on h-BN (AuBN) as a model with extensive first-principles-based calculations. We demonstrated that the adsorption of reactants, namely CO, O₂ and CO₂, and their coadsorption with reaction species on AuBN would be condition dependent, leading to various reaction species with different reactivity and impact the CO conversion. Specifically, the revised Langmuir–Hinshelwood pathway with the CO-mediated activation of O₂ and dissociation of cyclic peroxide intermediate followed by the Eley–Rideal type reduction is dominant at high temperatures, while the coadsorbed CO-mediated dissociation of peroxide intermediate becomes plausible at low temperatures and high CO partial pressures. Carbonate species would also form in existence of CO₂, react with coadsorbed CO and benefit the conversion. The findings highlight the origin of the condition-dependent CO oxidation performance of SACs in detailed conditions and may help to rationalize the current understanding of the superior catalytic performance of SACs.

Stability and Catalytic Performance of Single-Atom Supported on Ti2 CO2 for Low-Temperature CO Oxidation: A First-Principles Study

Based on first-principles calculations, the potential of Ti₂ CO₂ monolayer (MXene) as a single-atom catalyst (SAC) support for 3d transition metal (TM) atoms (Sc, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, and Zn) is studied for CO oxidation. We first screen the support effect according to the stability of a single metal atom and find that Sc and Ti supported on Ti₂ CO₂ have stronger adsorption energy than the cohesive energy of their bulk counterparts and therefore, we selected Sc and Ti supported on Ti₂ CO₂ for further catalytic reactions. The stability and the potential catalytic reactivity are verified by electronic structure and charge transfer analysis. Both Eley-Rideal (ER) and Langmuir-Hinshelwood (LH) mechanisms are considered in this study, and lower energy barriers of 0.002 and 0.37 eV were found in the ER mechanism compared to the LH mechanism, which are 0.25 and 0.34 eV for Sc and Ti catalysts, respectively. Moreover, kinetic ER and LH mechanisms are favorable for both Sc- and Ti/Ti₂ CO₂ because of the comparable energy barrier to other metals and SAC supported on 2D materials. However, Ti/Ti₂ CO₂ catalyst is thermodynamically unfavorable. Based on these calculations, we propose that Sc supported on Ti₂ CO₂ is the best catalyst for CO-oxidation. The current study not only broadens the scope of the single-atom Sc catalyst but also extends the consideration of MXene support for catalyst optimization.

Unraveling Catalytic Mechanisms for CO Oxidation on Boron-Doped Fullerene: A Computational Study

By means of spin-polarized density functional theory (DFT) computations, we unravel the reaction mechanisms of catalytic CO oxidation on B-doped fullerene. It is shown that O2 species favors to be chemically adsorbed via side-on configuration at the hex-C-B site with an adsorption energy of -1.07 eV. Two traditional pathways, Eley-Rideal (ER) and Langmuir-Hinshelwood (LH) mechanisms, are considered for the CO oxidation starting from O2 adsorption. CO species is able to bind at the B-top site of the B-doped fullerene with an adsorption energy of -0.78 eV. Therefore, CO oxidation that occurs starting from CO adsorption is also taken into account. Second reaction of CO oxidation occurs by the reaction of CO + O → CO2 with a very high energy barrier of 1.56 eV. A trimolecular Eley-Rideal (TER) pathway is proposed to avoid leaving the O atom on the B-doped fullerene after the first CO oxidation. These predictions manifest that boron-doped fullerene is a potential metal-free catalyst for CO oxidation.

Atomic site electrocatalysts for water splitting, oxygen reduction and selective oxidation

This review summarized the fabrication routes and characterization methods of atomic site electrocatalysts (ASCs) followed by their applications for water splitting, oxygen reduction and selective oxidation.

Pd/Pt embedded CN monolayers as efficient catalysts for CO oxidation

The catalytic performance of Pd/Pt embedded planar carbon nitride for CO oxidation has been investigated via spin-polarized density functional theory calculations.

A comparative DFT study on single-atom catalysis of CO oxidation over Al- and P-embedded hexagonal boron-nitride nanosheets

Density functional theory calculations are performed to compare catalytic oxidation of CO molecule over Al- and P-embedded hexagonal boron nitride nanosheet (h-BN). It is found that the Al and P adatom can be stably anchored on the boron-vacancy site of h-BN, as evidenced by a relatively large adsorption energy and charge-transfer value. According to our findings, the oxidation of CO over these surfaces proceeds via the Langmuir-Hinshelwood mechanism, followed by the elimination of the remaining atomic O by another CO molecule. Meanwhile, the stronger adsorption of O₂ than CO avoids poisoning of the active site of both surfaces. The results of the present study indicate that Al-doped h-BN exhibits higher catalytic activity for CO oxidation than P-doped one, which may provide a valuable guidance on design metal-free catalysts to remove toxic CO molecules.

N-doped ZnO nanosheets: towards high performance two dimensional catalysts

Recently, catalytic activity of atomically thin two dimensional (2D) materials has attracted great interest. In this paper, via first principles calculations, we show for the first time that N-doped 2D one-atom-thick ZnO nanosheets exhibit high catalytic activity towards CO oxidation. A pristine 2D ZnO nanosheet is chemically inert and as a result, CO and O₂ molecules do not chemically bind on the nanosheet. Our calculations predict that the N doping activates the ZnO sheet, leading to strong CO and O₂ adsorptions. We further show that the CO oxidation catalyzed by the N-doped 2D ZnO sheet has a low reaction barrier around 0.5 eV. Besides high catalytic activity, the N-doped 2D ZnO sheet also demonstrates intriguing electronic and magnetic properties. These findings provide new opportunities for the future development of high performance 2D catalysts.

Phosphomolybdic acid supported single-metal-atom catalysis in CO oxidation: first-principles calculations

Highly active phosphomolybdic acid supported single-metal-atom catalysts for CO oxidation.

Theoretical study of the adsorption of aromatic amino acids on a single-wall boron nitride nanotube with empirical dispersion correction

In the present study, the adsorption and properties of three popularly studied aromatic amino acids, namely phenylalanine, tyrosine, and tryptophan, on the surface of the single-wall boron nitride nanotubes (BNNTs) have been explored with an empirical dispersion corrected density functional tight-binding method. A serials of armchair BNNTs (n = 4–12) and zigzag BNNTs (n = 8–18) with the aromatic amino acid adsorbed on the surface are investigated. With the dispersion correction explicitly considered in the density functional tight-binding method, the adsorption properties between amino acids and BNNTs are described by including long-range van der Waals interactions. It is found that the π–π and H–π stacking interactions are the main forces stabilizing the system. Based on the evidence of adsorption energy, charge density plots, and density of states analysis, the study concludes that the BNNT adsorbs the amino acids with no bonded interactions between the two parts. The interactions of amino with the BNNT were further studied by analyzing molecular orbitals and excited state absorption spectrum of the stable complexes.

The effect of defects on the catalytic activity of single Au atom supported carbon nanotubes and reaction mechanism for CO oxidation

The mechanism of CO oxidation by O₂ on a single Au atom supported on pristine, mono atom vacancy (m), di atom vacancy (di) and the Stone Wales defect (SW) on single walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT) surface is systematically investigated theoretically using density functional theory.

Defective Hexagonal Boron Nitride Nanosheet on Ni(111) and Cu(111): Stability, Electronic Structures, and Potential Applications

Defective hexagonal boron nitride nanosheets (h-BNNSs) supported by Ni(111) and Cu(111) surfaces have been systematically studied in this work by first-principles methods. The calculation results show that various defects play an important role in enhancing the stability of h-BNNS/metal heterostructure. Importantly, significant electron transfer through the interface between metal substrate and h-BNNS to the defect sites can make h-BNNS more catalytically active. Using the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) as a probe, it is shown that the binding energies of O2*, OH*, OOH*, and O* on h-BNNS/Cu(111) with a boron vacancy (VB) are quite similar to those observed on the Pt(111) surface, suggesting inert h-BNNS materials with defects can be functionalized by metal surfaces to become catalytically active for the ORR process. On the other hand, the reaction mechanism of CO oxidation on Ni(111) and Cu(111) supported h-BNNS with VB is systematically investigated. The h-BN/Cu(111) catalyst with a VB precovered by a CO species exhibits catalytic capacity for CO oxidation with a lower energy barrier compared with that on h-BN/Cu(111) without any defect. While on Ni(111) supported h-BNNS with a N vacancy, the defect site turns to be dominated by O2 and the energy barrier is significantly increased, indicating its dependence on the type of defect. This work will provide information for designing h-BN-based catalysts in heterogeneous catalysis.

From Graphene Nanoribbons on Cu(111) to Nanographene on Cu(110): Critical Role of Substrate Structure in the Bottom-Up Fabrication Strategy

Bottom-up strategies can be effectively implemented for the fabrication of atomically precise graphene nanoribbons. Recently, using 10,10'-dibromo-9,9'-bianthracene (DBBA) as a molecular precursor to grow armchair nanoribbons on Au(111) and Cu(111), we have shown that substrate activity considerably affects the dynamics of ribbon formation, nonetheless without significant modifications in the growth mechanism. In this paper we compare the on-surface reaction pathways for DBBA molecules on Cu(111) and Cu(110). Evolution of both systems has been studied via a combination of core-level X-ray spectroscopies, scanning tunneling microscopy, and theoretical calculations. Experimental and theoretical results reveal a significant increase in reactivity for the open and anisotropic Cu(110) surface in comparison with the close-packed Cu(111). This increased reactivity results in a predominance of the molecular-substrate interaction over the intermolecular one, which has a critical impact on the transformations of DBBA on Cu(110). Unlike DBBA on Cu(111), the Ullmann coupling cannot be realized for DBBA/Cu(110) and the growth of nanoribbons via this mechanism is blocked. Instead, annealing of DBBA on Cu(110) at 250 °C results in the formation of a new structure: quasi-zero-dimensional flat nanographenes. Each nanographene unit has dehydrogenated zigzag edges bonded to the underlying Cu rows and oriented with the hydrogen-terminated armchair edge parallel to the [1-10] direction. Strong bonding of nanographene to the substrate manifests itself in a high adsorption energy of -12.7 eV and significant charge transfer of 3.46e from the copper surface. Nanographene units coordinated with bromine adatoms are able to arrange in highly regular arrays potentially suitable for nanotemplating.

Pt atoms stabilized on hexagonal boron nitride as efficient single-atom catalysts for CO oxidation: a first-principles investigation

Taking CO oxidation as a probe, we investigated the electronic structure and reactivity of Pt atoms stabilized by vacancy defects on hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) by first-principles-based calculations.

A Cu(111) supported h-BN nanosheet: a potential low-cost and high-performance catalyst for CO oxidation

CO oxidation on h-BNNS/Cu(111).

Can metal-free silicon-doped hexagonal boron nitride nanosheets and nanotubes exhibit activity toward CO oxidation?

Si-doped hexagonal boron nitride nanosheets and nanotubes have been investigated by first-principle methods.

A theoretical study of single-atom catalysis of CO oxidation using Au embedded 2D h-BN monolayer: a CO-promoted O₂ activation

The CO oxidation behaviors on single Au atom embedded in two-dimensional h-BN monolayer are investigated on the basis of first-principles calculations, quantum Born-Oppenheim molecular dynamic simulations (BOMD) and micro-kinetic analysis. We show that CO oxidation on h-BN monolayer support single gold atom prefers an unreported tri-molecular Eley-Rideal (E-R) reaction, where O2 molecule is activated by two pre-adsorbed CO molecules. The formed OCOAuOCO intermediate dissociates into two CO2 molecules synchronously, which is the rate-limiting step with an energy barrier of 0.47 eV. By using the micro-kinetic analysis, the CO oxidation following the tri-molecular E-R reaction pathway entails much higher reaction rate (1.43 × 10(5) s(-1)) than that of bimolecular Langmuir-Hinshelwood (L-H) pathway (4.29 s(-1)). Further, the quantum BOMD simulation at the temperature of 300 K demonstrates the complete reaction process in real time.

Boron nitride nanosheet on gold as an electrocatalyst for oxygen reduction reaction: theoretical suggestion and experimental proof

Boron nitride (BN), which is an insulator with a wide band gap, supported on Au is theoretically suggested and experimentally proved to act as an electrocatalyst for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). Density-functional theory calculations show that the band gap of a free h-BN monolayer is 4.6 eV but a slight protrusion of the unoccupied BN states toward the Fermi level is observed if BN is supported on Au(111) due to the BN-Au interaction. A theoretically predicted metastable configuration of O2 on h-BN/Au(111), which can serve as precursors for ORR, and free energy diagrams for ORR on h-BN/Au(111) via two- and four-electron pathways show that ORR to H2O2 is possible at this electrode. It is experimentally proved that overpotential for ORR at the gold electrode is significantly reduced by depositing BN nanosheets. No such effect is observed at the glassy carbon electrode, demonstrating the importance of BN-substrate interaction for h-BN to act as the ORR electrocatalyst. A possible role of the edge of the BN islands for ORR is also discussed.

Copper atoms embedded in hexagonal boron nitride as potential catalysts for CO oxidation: a first-principles investigation

The embedment in h-BN makes Cu states compatible to reactant states and facilitates the charge transfer for reaction to proceed.

Electrocatalytic activity of various types of h-BN for the oxygen reduction reaction

Enhancement of oxygen reduction reaction activity of a Au electrode by modification with various types of BN nanostructure.