Reaction of S2 and SO2 with Pd/Rh(111) surfaces: Effects of metal–metal bonding on sulfur poisoning

Behavior of S, SO, and SO3 on Pt (001), (011), and (111) surfaces: A DFT study

In the hybrid sulfur (HyS) cycle, the reaction between SO₂ and H₂O is manipulated to produce hydrogen with water and sulfuric acid as by-products. However, sulfur poisoning of the catalyst has been widely reported to occur in this cycle, which is due to strong chemisorption of sulfur on the metal surface. The catalysts may deactivate as a result of these impurities present in the reactants or incorporated in the catalyst during its preparation and operation of the HyS cycle. Here, we report a density functional theory investigation of the interaction between S, SO, and SO₃ with the Pt (001), (011), and (111) surfaces. First, we have investigated the adsorption of single gas phase molecules on the three Pt surfaces. During adsorption, the 4F hollow sites on the (001) and (011) surfaces and the fcc hollow site on the (111) surface were preferred. S adsorption followed the trend of (001)_4F > (011)_4F > (111)_fcc, while SO adsorption showed (001)_4F > (011)_bridge/4F > (111)_fcc and SO₃ adsorption was most stable in a S,O,O bound configuration on the (001)_4F > (011)_4F > (111)_fcc sites. The surface coverage was increased on all the surfaces until a monolayer was obtained. The highest surface coverage for S shows the trend (001)_S = (111)_S > (011)_S, and for SO it is (001)_SO > (011)_SO > (111)_SO, similar to SO₃ where we found (001)_SO3 > (011)_SO3 > (111)_SO3. These trends indicate that the (001) surface is more susceptible to S species poisoning. It is also evident that both the (001) and (111) surfaces were reactive toward S, leading to the formation of S₂. The high coverage of SO₃ showed the formation of SO₂ and SO₄, especially on the (011) surface. The thermodynamics indicated that an increased temperature of up to 2000 K resulted in Pt surfaces fully covered with elemental S. The SO coverage showed θ ≥ 1.00 on both the (001) and (011) surfaces and θ = 0.78 for the (111) surface in the experimental region where the HyS cycle is operated. Lower coverages of SO₃ were observed due to the size of the molecule.

A DFT study of the adsorption energy and electronic interactions of the SO2 molecule on a CoP hydrotreating catalyst

The adsorption energy and electronic properties of sulfur dioxide (SO2) adsorbed on different low-Miller index cobalt phosphide (CoP) surfaces were examined using density functional theory (DFT). Different surface atomic terminations and initial molecular orientations were systematically investigated in detail to determine the most active and stable surface for use as a hydrotreating catalyst. It was found that the surface catalytic reactivity of CoP and its performance were highly sensitive to the crystal plane, where the surface orientation/termination had a remarkable impact on the interfacial chemical bonding and electronic states toward the adsorption of the SO2 molecule. Specifically, analysis of the surface energy adsorption revealed that SO2 on Co-terminated surfaces, especially in (010), (101) and (110) facets, is energetically more favorable compared to other low index surfaces. Charge density difference, density of states (DOS) and Gibbs free energy studies were also carried out to further understand the bonding mechanism and the electronic interactions with the adsorbate. It is anticipated that the current findings will support experimental research towards the design of catalysts for SO2 hydrodesulfurization based on cobalt phosphide nanoparticles.

Interaction of SO2 with the Platinum (001), (011), and (111) Surfaces: A DFT Study

Given the importance of SO2 as a pollutant species in the environment and its role in the hybrid sulphur (HyS) cycle for hydrogen production, we carried out a density functional theory study of its interaction with the Pt (001), (011), and (111) surfaces. First, we investigated the adsorption of a single SO2 molecule on the three Pt surfaces. On both the (001) and (111) surfaces, the SO2 had a S,O-bonded geometry, while on the (011) surface, it had a co-pyramidal and bridge geometry. The largest adsorption energy was obtained on the (001) surface (Eads = −2.47 eV), followed by the (011) surface (Eads = −2.39 and −2.28 eV for co-pyramidal and bridge geometries, respectively) and the (111) surface (Eads = −1.85 eV). When the surface coverage was increased up to a monolayer, we noted an increase of Eads/SO2 for all the surfaces, but the (001) surface remained the most favourable overall for SO2 adsorption. On the (111) surface, we found that when the surface coverage was θ > 0.78, two neighbouring SO2 molecules reacted to form SO and SO3. Considering the experimental conditions, we observed that the highest coverage in terms of the number of SO2 molecules per metal surface area was (111) > (001) > (011). As expected, when the temperature increased, the surface coverage decreased on all the surfaces, and gradual desorption of SO2 would occur above 500 K. Total desorption occurred at temperatures higher than 700 K for the (011) and (111) surfaces. It was seen that at 0 and 800 K, only the (001) and (111) surfaces were expressed in the morphology, but at 298 and 400 K, the (011) surface was present as well. Taking into account these data and those from a previous paper on water adsorption on Pt, it was evident that at temperatures between 400 and 450 K, where the HyS cycle operates, most of the water would desorb from the surface, thereby increasing the SO2 concentration, which in turn may lead to sulphur poisoning of the catalyst.

Strategies for Carbon and Sulfur Tolerant Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Materials, Incorporating Lessons from Heterogeneous Catalysis

Solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) are a rapidly emerging energy technology for a low carbon world, providing high efficiency, potential to use carbonaceous fuels, and compatibility with carbon capture and storage. However, current state-of-the-art materials have low tolerance to sulfur, a common contaminant of many fuels, and are vulnerable to deactivation due to carbon deposition when using carbon-containing compounds. In this review, we first study the theoretical basis behind carbon and sulfur poisoning, before examining the strategies toward carbon and sulfur tolerance used so far in the SOFC literature. We then study the more extensive relevant heterogeneous catalysis literature for strategies and materials which could be incorporated into carbon and sulfur tolerant fuel cells.

Site-selective sulfurization of bromide-capped palladium nanocubes by polysulfide and the underlying mechanism

This article describes site-selective sulfurization of Pd nanocubes capped by a monolayer of chemisorbed Br(-) ions. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy and high-angle annular dark-field scanning TEM observations showed that PdS was not formed until a certain quantity of polysulfide (S(x)(2-)) ions had been introduced (300 μl, or 18.8 ppm in the final reaction solution). Spot energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analyses confirmed that the surface-chemisorbed Br(-) ions were completely substituted by S(x)(2-) ions before the initiation of the sulfurization reaction. In the presence of sufficient S(x)(2-) ions (>300 μl or >18.8 ppm), PdS phase was selectively developed from the highly active corners, which then moved to the edges and finally towards the center until the entire nanocube was converted into PdS. The resultant PdS was found to be amorphous by electron microscopy and powder x-ray diffraction measurements. The amorphous structure of PdS facilitated the penetration and diffusion of S(x)(2-) species and thus acceleration of the reaction kinetics. As a result, the sulfurization of 13 nm Pd nanocubes was completed within a few minutes after the addition of adequate Na2Sx, leading to a much more severe poisoning effect, compared with other noble metals such as Ag, by sulfur.

Regeneration of sulfur-fouled bimetallic Pd-based catalysts

Pd-based catalysts provide efficient and selective reduction of several drinking water contaminants, but their long-term application requires effective treatments for catalyst regeneration following fouling by constituents in natural waters. This studytested alumina-supported Pd-Cu and Pd-In bimetallic catalysts for nitrate reduction with H2 after sulfide fouling and oxidative regeneration procedures. Both catalysts were severely deactivated after treatment with microM levels of sulfide. Regeneration was attempted with dissolved oxygen, hydrogen peroxide, sodium hypochlorite, and heated air. Only sodium hypochlorite and heated air were effective regenerants, specifically restoring nitrate reduction rates for a Pd-In/gamma-Al2O3 catalyst from 20% to between 39 and 60% of original levels. Results from ICP-MS revealed that sodium hypochlorite caused dissolution of Cu from the Pd-Cu catalyst but that the Pd-In catalyst was chemically stable over a range of sulfide fouling and oxidative regenerative conditions. Analysis byXPS indicated that PdS and In2S3 complexes form during sulfide fouling, where sulfur is present as S2-, and that regeneration with sodium hypochlorite converts a portion of the S2- to S6+, with a corresponding increase in reduction rates. These results indicate that Pd-In catalysts show exceptional promise for being robust under fouling and regeneration conditions that may occur when treating natural waters.

Activation of gold on titania: adsorption and reaction of SO(2) on Au/TiO(2)(110)

Synchrotron-based high-resolution photoemission and first-principles density-functional slab calculations were used to study the interaction of gold with titania and the chemistry of SO(2) on Au/TiO(2)(110) surfaces. The deposition of Au nanoparticles on TiO(2)(110) produces a system with an extraordinary ability to adsorb and dissociate SO(2). In this respect, Au/TiO(2) is much more chemically active than metallic gold or stoichiometric titania. On Au(111) and rough polycrystalline surfaces of gold, SO(2) bonds weakly and desorbs intact at temperatures below 200 K. For the adsorption of SO(2) on TiO(2)(110) at 300 K, SO(4) is the only product (SO(2) + O(oxide) --> SO(4,ads)). In contrast, Au/TiO(2)(110) surfaces (theta;(Au) < or = 0.5 ML) fully dissociate the SO(2) molecule under identical reaction conditions. Interactions with titania electronically perturb gold, making it more chemically active. Furthermore, our experimental and theoretical results show quite clearly that not only gold is perturbed when gold and titania interact. The adsorbed gold, on its part, enhances the reactivity of titania by facilitating the migration of O vacancies from the bulk to the surface of the oxide. In general, the complex coupling of these phenomena must be taken into consideration when trying to explain the unusual chemical and catalytic activity of Au/TiO(2). In many situations, the oxide support can be much more than a simple spectator.

Sulfur Adsorption and Reaction with a TiO2(110) Surface: O↔S Exchange and Sulfide Formation

Upon sulfur adsorption on TiO2(110) at 600 K, all surface oxygen is replaced by sulfur. High-resolution photoemission data show a complete loss of oxygen from the surface layer, a large binding energy shift and attenuation of Ti core levels, and the presence of three different S species. The bonding of sulfur is examined using first-principles density-functional calculations and the periodic supercell approach. At saturation the top layer of the oxide surface is converted to sulfide, with the majority of sulfur buckled above the Ti lattice plane and the remaining sulfur bonded in bridging sites. A mechanism for this self-limiting thermodynamically unlikely surface reaction is proposed.