1
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Kumari S, Alexandrova AN, Sautet P. Nature of Zirconia on a Copper Inverse Catalyst Under CO 2 Hydrogenation Conditions. J Am Chem Soc 2023; 145:26350-26362. [PMID: 37977567 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.3c09947] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2023]
Abstract
The growing concern over the escalating levels of anthropogenic CO2 emissions necessitates effective strategies for its conversion to valuable chemicals and fuels. In this research, we embark on a comprehensive investigation of the nature of zirconia on a copper inverse catalyst under the conditions of CO2 hydrogenation to methanol. We employ density functional theory calculations in combination with the Grand Canonical Basin Hopping method, enabling an exploration of the free energy surface including a variable amount of adsorbates within the relevant reaction conditions. Our focus centers on a model three-atom Zr cluster on a Cu(111) surface decorated with various OH, O, and formate ligands, noted Zr3Ox (OH)y (HCOO)z/Cu(111), revealing major changes in the active site induced by various reaction parameters such as the gas pressure, temperature, conversion levels, and CO2/H2 feed ratios. Through our analysis, we have unveiled insights into the dynamic behavior of the catalyst. Specifically, under reaction conditions, we observe a large number of composition and structures with similar free energy for the catalyst, with respect to changing the type, number, and binding sites of adsorbates, suggesting that the active site should be regarded as a statistical ensemble of diverse structures that interconvert.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simran Kumari
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095, United States
| | - Anastassia N Alexandrova
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095, United States
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095, United States
| | - Philippe Sautet
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095, United States
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095, United States
- California NanoSystems Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90094, United States
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2
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Wan C, Zhang Z, Dong J, Xu M, Pu H, Baumann D, Lin Z, Wang S, Huang J, Shah AH, Pan X, Hu T, Alexandrova AN, Huang Y, Duan X. Amorphous nickel hydroxide shell tailors local chemical environment on platinum surface for alkaline hydrogen evolution reaction. NATURE MATERIALS 2023; 22:1022-1029. [PMID: 37349398 DOI: 10.1038/s41563-023-01584-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 30.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2022] [Accepted: 05/18/2023] [Indexed: 06/24/2023]
Abstract
In analogy to natural enzymes, an elaborated design of catalytic systems with a specifically tailored local chemical environment could substantially improve reaction kinetics, effectively combat catalyst poisoning effect and boost catalyst lifetime under unfavourable reaction conditions. Here we report a unique design of 'Ni(OH)2-clothed Pt-tetrapods' with an amorphous Ni(OH)2 shell as a water dissociation catalyst and a proton conductive encapsulation layer to isolate the Pt core from bulk alkaline electrolyte while ensuring efficient proton supply to the active Pt sites. This design creates a favourable local chemical environment to result in acidic-like hydrogen evolution reaction kinetics with a lowest Tafel slope of 27 mV per decade and a record-high specific activity and mass activity in alkaline electrolyte. The proton conductive Ni(OH)2 shell can also effectively reject impurity ions and retard the Oswald ripening, endowing a high tolerance to solution impurities and exceptional long-term durability that is difficult to achieve in the naked Pt catalysts. The markedly improved hydrogen evolution reaction activity and durability in an alkaline medium promise an attractive catalyst material for alkaline water electrolysers and renewable chemical fuel generation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chengzhang Wan
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Zisheng Zhang
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Juncai Dong
- Beijing Synchrotron Radiation Facility, Institute of High Energy Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Mingjie Xu
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA
- Irvine Materials Research Institute, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Heting Pu
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Daniel Baumann
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Zhaoyang Lin
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Sibo Wang
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Jin Huang
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Aamir Hassan Shah
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Xiaoqing Pan
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA
- Irvine Materials Research Institute, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Tiandou Hu
- Beijing Synchrotron Radiation Facility, Institute of High Energy Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Anastassia N Alexandrova
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
- California NanoSystems Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
| | - Yu Huang
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
- California NanoSystems Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
| | - Xiangfeng Duan
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
- California NanoSystems Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
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3
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Kumari S, Sautet P. Elucidation of the Active Site for the Oxygen Evolution Reaction on a Single Pt Atom Supported on Indium Tin Oxide. J Phys Chem Lett 2023; 14:2635-2643. [PMID: 36888963 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.3c00160] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Single-atom catalysts (SACs) have attracted attention for their high catalytic activity and selectivity, but the nature of their active sites under realistic reaction conditions, involving various ligands, is not well-understood. In this study, we use density functional theory calculations and grand canonical basin hopping to theoretically investigate the active site for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) on a single Pt atom supported on indium tin oxide, including the influence of the electrochemical potential. We show that the ligands on the Pt atom change from Pt-OH in the absence of electrochemical potential to PtO(OH)4 in electrochemical conditions. This change of the chemical state of Pt is associated with a decrease of 0.3 V for the OER overpotential. This highlights the importance of accurately identifying the nature of the active site under reaction conditions and the impact of adsorbates on the electrocatalytic activity. This theoretical investigation enhances our understanding of SACs for the OER.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simran Kumari
- Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering Department, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California 90095, United States
| | - Philippe Sautet
- Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering Department, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California 90095, United States
- Chemistry and Biochemistry Department, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California 90095, United States
- California NanoSystems Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California 90094, United States
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4
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Kumari S, Masubuchi T, White HS, Alexandrova A, Anderson SL, Sautet P. Electrocatalytic Hydrogen Evolution at Full Atomic Utilization over ITO-Supported Sub-nano-Pt n Clusters: High, Size-Dependent Activity Controlled by Fluxional Pt Hydride Species. J Am Chem Soc 2023; 145:5834-5845. [PMID: 36867416 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.2c13063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/04/2023]
Abstract
A combination of density functional theory (DFT) and experiments with atomically size-selected Ptn clusters deposited on indium-tin oxide (ITO) electrodes was used to examine the effects of applied potential and Ptn size on the electrocatalytic activity of Ptn (n = 1, 4, 7, and 8) for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). Activity is found to be negligible for isolated Pt atoms on ITO, increasing rapidly with Ptn size such that Pt7/ITO and Pt8/ITO have roughly double the activity per Pt atom compared to atoms in the surface layer of polycrystalline Pt. Both the DFT and experiment find that hydrogen under-potential deposition (Hupd) results in Ptn/ITO (n = 4, 7, and 8) adsorbing ∼2H atoms/Pt atom at the HER threshold potential, equal to ca. double the Hupd observed for Pt bulk or nanoparticles. The cluster catalysts under electrocatalytic conditions are hence best described as a Pt hydride compound, significantly departing from a metallic Pt cluster. The exception is Pt1/ITO, where H adsorption at the HER threshold potential is energetically unfavorable. The theory combines global optimization with grand canonical approaches for the influence of potential, uncovering the fact that several metastable structures contribute to the HER, changing with the applied potential. It is hence critical to include reactions of the ensemble of energetically accessible PtnHx/ITO structures to correctly predict the activity vs Ptn size and applied potential. For the small clusters, spillover of Hads from the clusters to the ITO support is significant, resulting in a competing channel for loss of Hads, particularly at slow potential scan rates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simran Kumari
- Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering Department, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095, United States
| | - Tsugunosuke Masubuchi
- Department of Chemistry, University of Utah, 315 South 1400 East, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112, United States
| | - Henry S White
- Department of Chemistry, University of Utah, 315 South 1400 East, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112, United States
| | - Anastassia Alexandrova
- Chemistry and Biochemistry Department, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095, United States.,California NanoSystems Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90094, United States
| | - Scott L Anderson
- Department of Chemistry, University of Utah, 315 South 1400 East, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112, United States
| | - Philippe Sautet
- Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering Department, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095, United States.,Chemistry and Biochemistry Department, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095, United States.,California NanoSystems Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90094, United States
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5
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Sumaria V, Nguyen L, Tao FF, Sautet P. Atomic-Scale Mechanism of Platinum Catalyst Restructuring under a Pressure of Reactant Gas. J Am Chem Soc 2023; 145:392-401. [PMID: 36548635 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.2c10179] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Heterogeneous catalysis is key for chemical transformations. Understanding how catalysts' active sites dynamically evolve at the atomic scale under reaction conditions is a prerequisite for accurately determining catalytic mechanisms and predictably developing catalysts. We combine in situ time-dependent scanning tunneling microscopy observations and machine-learning-accelerated first-principles atomistic simulations to uncover the mechanism of restructuring of Pt catalysts under a pressure of carbon monoxide (CO). We show that a high CO coverage at a Pt step edge triggers the formation of atomic protrusions of low-coordination Pt atoms, which then detach from the step edge to create sub-nano-islands on the terraces, where under-coordinated sites are stabilized by the CO adsorbates. The fast and accurate machine-learning potential is key to enabling the exploration of tens of thousands of configurations for the CO-covered restructuring catalyst. These studies open an avenue to achieve an atomic-scale understanding of the structural dynamics of more complex metal nanoparticle catalysts under reaction conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vaidish Sumaria
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90094, United States
| | - Luan Nguyen
- Department of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering, University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas 66045, United States
| | - Franklin Feng Tao
- Department of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering, University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas 66045, United States
| | - Philippe Sautet
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90094, United States.,Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90094, United States
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6
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Khramenkova EV, Venkatraman H, Soethout V, Pidko EA. Global optimization of extraframework ensembles in zeolites: structural analysis of extraframework aluminum species in MOR and MFI zeolites. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2022; 24:27047-27054. [PMID: 36321744 PMCID: PMC9673684 DOI: 10.1039/d2cp03603g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2022] [Accepted: 10/09/2022] [Indexed: 05/02/2024]
Abstract
Metal-modified zeolites are versatile catalytic materials with a wide range of industrial applications. Their catalytic behaviour is determined by the nature of externally introduced cationic species, i.e., its geometry, chemical composition, and location within the zeolite pores. Superior catalyst designs can be unlocked by understanding the confinement effect and spatial limitations of the zeolite framework and its influence on the geometry and location of such cationic active sites. In this study, we employ the genetic algorithm (GA) global optimization method to investigate extraframework aluminum species and their structural variations in different zeolite matrices. We focus on extraframework aluminum (EFAl) as a model system because it greatly influences the product selectivity and catalytic stability in several zeolite catalyzed processes. Specifically, the GA was used to investigate the configurational possibilities of EFAl within the mordenite (MOR) and ZSM-5 frameworks. The xTB semi-empirical method within the GA was employed for an automated sampling of the EFAl-zeolite space. Furthermore, geometry refinement at the density functional theory (DFT) level of theory allowed us to improve the most stable configurations obtained from the GA and elaborate on the limitations of the xTB method. A subsequent ab initio thermodynamics analysis (aiTA) was chosen to predict the most favourable EFAl structure(s) under the catalytically relevant operando conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena V Khramenkova
- Inorganic Systems Engineering group, Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Applied Sciences, Delft University of Technology, Van der Maasweg 9, 2629 HZ, Delft, The Netherlands.
| | - Harshini Venkatraman
- Inorganic Systems Engineering group, Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Applied Sciences, Delft University of Technology, Van der Maasweg 9, 2629 HZ, Delft, The Netherlands.
| | - Victor Soethout
- Inorganic Systems Engineering group, Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Applied Sciences, Delft University of Technology, Van der Maasweg 9, 2629 HZ, Delft, The Netherlands.
| | - Evgeny A Pidko
- Inorganic Systems Engineering group, Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Applied Sciences, Delft University of Technology, Van der Maasweg 9, 2629 HZ, Delft, The Netherlands.
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7
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Zhang Z, Wei Z, Sautet P, Alexandrova AN. Hydrogen-Induced Restructuring of a Cu(100) Electrode in Electroreduction Conditions. J Am Chem Soc 2022; 144:19284-19293. [PMID: 36227161 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.2c06188] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The rearrangement of Cu surfaces under electrochemical conditions is known to play a key role in the surface activation for major electrocatalytic reactions. Despite the extensive experimental insights into such rearrangements, from surface-sensitive spectroscopy and microscopy, the spatial and temporal resolution of these methods is insufficient to provide an atomistic picture of the electrochemical interface. Theoretical characterization has also been challenged by the diversity of restructuring configurations, surface stoichiometry, adsorbate configurations, and the effect of the electrode potential. Here, atomistic insight into the restructuring of the electrochemical interface is gained from first principles. Cu(100) restructuring under varying applied potentials and adsorbate coverages is studied by grand canonical density functional theory and global optimization techniques, as well as ab initio molecular dynamics and mechanistic calculations. We show that electroreduction conditions cause the formation of a shifted-row reconstruction on Cu(100), induced by hydrogen adsorption. The reconstruction is initiated at 1/6 ML H coverage, when the Cu-H bonding sufficiently weakens the Cu-Cu bonds between the top- and sublayer, and further stabilized at 1/3 ML when H adsorbates fill all the created 3-fold hollow sites. The simulated scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) images of the calculated reconstructed interfaces agree with experimental in situ STM. However, compared to the thermodynamic prediction, the onsets of reconstruction events in the experiment occur at more negative applied voltages. This is attributed to kinetic effects in restructuring, which we describe via different statistical models, to produce the potential- and pH-dependent surface stability diagram. This manuscript provides rich atomistic insight into surface restructuring in electroreduction conditions, which is required for the understanding and design of Cu-based materials for electrocatalytic processes. It also offers the methodology to study the problem of in situ electrode reconstruction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zisheng Zhang
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Los Angeles, California90094, United States
| | - Ziyang Wei
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Los Angeles, California90094, United States
| | - Philippe Sautet
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Los Angeles, California90094, United States.,Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles, California90094, United States.,California NanoSystems Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, California90094, United States
| | - Anastassia N Alexandrova
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Los Angeles, California90094, United States.,California NanoSystems Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, California90094, United States
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8
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Poths P, Alexandrova AN. Theoretical Perspective on Operando Spectroscopy of Fluxional Nanocatalysts. J Phys Chem Lett 2022; 13:4321-4334. [PMID: 35536346 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.2c00628] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Improvements in operando spectroscopy have enabled the catalysis community to investigate the dynamic nature of catalysts under operating conditions with increasing detail. Still, the highly dynamic nature of some catalysts, such as fluxional supported subnano clusters, presents a formidable challenge even for the most state-of-the-art techniques. The reason is that such fluxional catalytic interfaces contain a variety of thermally accessible states. Operando spectroscopies used in catalysis generally fall into two categories: ensemble-based techniques, which provide spectra containing the signals of the entire ensemble of states of the catalyst and are not necessarily dominated by the most active species, and localized techniques, which provide atomistic-level information about the dynamics of active sites in a very small area, which might not include the most active species. Combining many different kinds of techniques can provide detailed insight; however, we propose that effective utilization of specific computational techniques and approaches within the fluxionality paradigm can fill the gap and enable atomistic characterization of the most relevant catalytic sites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patricia Poths
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California 90095-1569, United States
| | - Anastassia N Alexandrova
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California 90095-1569, United States
- California NanoSystems Institute, Los Angeles, California 90095, United States
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9
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Fan QY, Liu JL, Gong FQ, Wang Y, Cheng J. Structural dynamics of Ru clusters during nitrogen dissociation in ammonia synthesis. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2022; 24:10820-10825. [PMID: 35482304 DOI: 10.1039/d2cp00678b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
The dynamic evolution of catalyst structures greatly influences the reactivity, especially sub-nanometer clusters, exhibiting complex configurational fluctuation. In the present work, we study the structural dynamics of a Ru19 cluster during the dissociation of N2 and calculate the reaction free energies using ab initio molecular dynamics (AIMD). Our AIMD calculation predicts a peak-shaped reaction entropy curve due to the adsorption-induced phase transition of the Ru19 cluster. The low melting points of sub-nanometer clusters make it possible to activate N2 at low temperatures. This work demonstrates that the dynamic changes of cluster structures have a non-negligible effect on reaction free energy and offer an opportunity for achieving ammonia synthesis under mild conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qi-Yuan Fan
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials (iChEM), College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361005, China.
| | - Jing-Li Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials (iChEM), College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361005, China.
| | - Fu-Qiang Gong
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials (iChEM), College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361005, China.
| | - Ye Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials (iChEM), College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361005, China.
| | - Jun Cheng
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials (iChEM), College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361005, China.
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10
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Sun JJ, Fan QY, Jin X, Liu JL, Liu TT, Ren B, Cheng J. Size-dependent phase transitions boost catalytic activity of sub-nanometer gold clusters. J Chem Phys 2022; 156:144304. [DOI: 10.1063/5.0084165] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The characterization and identification of the dynamics of cluster catalysis are crucial to unraveling the origin of catalytic activity. However, the dynamical catalytic effects during the reaction process remain unclear. Herein, we investigate the dynamic coupling effect of elementary reactions with the structural fluctuations of sub-nanometer Au clusters with different sizes using ab initio molecular dynamics and the free energy calculation method. It was found that the adsorption-induced solid-to-liquid phase transitions of the cluster catalysts give rise to abnormal entropy increase, facilitating the proceeding of reaction, and this phase transition catalysis exists in a range of clusters with different sizes. Moreover, clusters with different sizes show different transition temperatures, resulting in a non-trivial size effect. These results unveil the dynamic effect of catalysts and help understand cluster catalysis to design better catalysts rationally.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan-Juan Sun
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials (iChEM), State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, The MOE Key Laboratory of Spectrochemical Analysis and Instrumentation, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China
| | - Qi-Yuan Fan
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials (iChEM), State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, The MOE Key Laboratory of Spectrochemical Analysis and Instrumentation, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China
| | - Xin Jin
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials (iChEM), State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, The MOE Key Laboratory of Spectrochemical Analysis and Instrumentation, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China
| | - Jing-Li Liu
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials (iChEM), State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, The MOE Key Laboratory of Spectrochemical Analysis and Instrumentation, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China
| | - Tong-Tong Liu
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials (iChEM), State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, The MOE Key Laboratory of Spectrochemical Analysis and Instrumentation, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China
| | - Bin Ren
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials (iChEM), State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, The MOE Key Laboratory of Spectrochemical Analysis and Instrumentation, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China
| | - Jun Cheng
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials (iChEM), State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, The MOE Key Laboratory of Spectrochemical Analysis and Instrumentation, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China
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11
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Abstract
Investigation into the state and mechanisms of the active metal substitution into the γ-Al2O3 support is the basis for design of many catalysts. Periodic density functional theory (DFT) +U calculations were used to investigate the surface properties of transition metals Co3+ and Ni3+ cations substitute for the Al3+ cations of γ-Al2O3 (110) surface. It was found that the substitution energy of one Al3+ substituted by Co3+ and Ni3+ are −61 and −57 kJ/mol, respectively. The Co and Ni preferentially substitute the tetrahedral Al sites instead of the octahedral Al sites. Using thermodynamics, the Al atoms in the top layer of γ-Al2O3 (110) can be 100% substituted by Co and Ni. Ni is easier to substitute the Al atom than Co. There is no obvious structural distortion that occurs after Co and Ni substituted all the top layer Al atoms. While the band gaps of the substituted surface become narrower, resulting in the increase of surface Lewis acidity. In addition, the oxygen vacancy formation energies of the Co and Ni substituted surface are 268 and 53 kJ/mol, respectively. The results provide interface structure and physical chemistry properties of metal-doped catalysts.
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12
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Lavroff RH, Morgan HWT, Zhang Z, Poths P, Alexandrova AN. Ensemble representation of catalytic interfaces: soloists, orchestras, and everything in-between. Chem Sci 2022; 13:8003-8016. [PMID: 35919426 PMCID: PMC9278157 DOI: 10.1039/d2sc01367c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2022] [Accepted: 05/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Catalytic systems are complex and dynamic, exploring vast chemical spaces on multiple timescales. In this perspective, we discuss the dynamic behavior of fluxional, heterogeneous thermal and electrocatalysts and the ensembles of many isomers which govern their behavior. We develop a new paradigm in catalysis theory in which highly fluxional systems, namely sub-nano clusters, isomerize on a much shorter timescale than that of the catalyzed reaction, so macroscopic properties arise from the thermal ensemble of isomers, not just the ground state. Accurate chemical predictions can only be reached through a many-structure picture of the catalyst, and we explain the breakdown of conventional methods such as linear scaling relations and size-selected prevention of sintering. We capitalize on the forward-looking discussion of the means of controlling the size of these dynamic ensembles. This control, such that the most effective or selective isomers can dominate the system, is essential for the fluxional catalyst to be practicable, and their targeted synthesis to be possible. It will also provide a fundamental lever of catalyst design. Finally, we discuss computational tools and experimental methods for probing ensembles and the role of specific isomers. We hope that catalyst optimization using chemically informed descriptors of ensemble nature and size will become a new norm in the field of catalysis and have broad impacts in sustainable energy, efficient chemical production, and more. Catalytic systems are complex and dynamic, exploring vast chemical spaces on multiple timescales.![]()
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert H Lavroff
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Los Angeles Los Angeles California 90095-1569 USA
| | - Harry W T Morgan
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Los Angeles Los Angeles California 90095-1569 USA
| | - Zisheng Zhang
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Los Angeles Los Angeles California 90095-1569 USA
| | - Patricia Poths
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Los Angeles Los Angeles California 90095-1569 USA
| | - Anastassia N Alexandrova
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Los Angeles Los Angeles California 90095-1569 USA
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13
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Guo H, Poths P, Sautet P, Alexandrova AN. Oxidation Dynamics of Supported Catalytic Cu Clusters: Coupling to Fluxionality. ACS Catal 2021. [DOI: 10.1021/acscatal.1c04100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Han Guo
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California 90095-1569, United States
| | - Patricia Poths
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California 90095-1569, United States
| | - Philippe Sautet
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California 90095-1569, United States
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California 90095-1569, United States
- California NanoSystems Institute, Los Angeles, California 90095, United States
| | - Anastassia N. Alexandrova
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California 90095-1569, United States
- California NanoSystems Institute, Los Angeles, California 90095, United States
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14
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Wang Y, Kalscheur J, Su YQ, Hensen EJM, Vlachos DG. Real-time dynamics and structures of supported subnanometer catalysts via multiscale simulations. Nat Commun 2021; 12:5430. [PMID: 34521852 PMCID: PMC8440615 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-25752-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2021] [Accepted: 08/18/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Understanding the performance of subnanometer catalysts and how catalyst treatment and exposure to spectroscopic probe molecules change the structure requires accurate structure determination under working conditions. Experiments lack simultaneous temporal and spatial resolution and could alter the structure, and similar challenges hinder first-principles calculations from answering these questions. Here, we introduce a multiscale modeling framework to follow the evolution of subnanometer clusters at experimentally relevant time scales. We demonstrate its feasibility on Pd adsorbed on CeO2(111) at various catalyst loadings, temperatures, and exposures to CO. We show that sintering occurs in seconds even at room temperature and is mainly driven by free energy reduction. It leads to a kinetically (far from equilibrium) frozen ensemble of quasi-two-dimensional structures that CO chemisorption and infrared experiments probe. CO adsorption makes structures flatter and smaller. High temperatures drive very rapid sintering toward larger, stable/metastable equilibrium structures, where CO induces secondary structure changes only.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yifan Wang
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, 150 Academy St., University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware, DE, 19716, United States
- Catalysis Center for Energy Innovation (CCEI), RAPID Manufacturing Institute, and Delaware Energy Institute (DEI), 221 Academy St., University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware, DE, 19716, United States
| | - Jake Kalscheur
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, 150 Academy St., University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware, DE, 19716, United States
- Catalysis Center for Energy Innovation (CCEI), RAPID Manufacturing Institute, and Delaware Energy Institute (DEI), 221 Academy St., University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware, DE, 19716, United States
| | - Ya-Qiong Su
- School of Chemistry, Xi'an Key Laboratory of Sustainable Energy Materials Chemistry, State Key Laboratory of Electrical Insulation and Power Equipment, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710049, China
- Laboratory of Inorganic Materials and Catalysis, Department of Chemical Engineering and Chemistry, Eindhoven University of Technology, P.O. Box 513, 5600 MB, Eindhoven, The Netherlands
| | - Emiel J M Hensen
- Laboratory of Inorganic Materials and Catalysis, Department of Chemical Engineering and Chemistry, Eindhoven University of Technology, P.O. Box 513, 5600 MB, Eindhoven, The Netherlands.
| | - Dionisios G Vlachos
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, 150 Academy St., University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware, DE, 19716, United States.
- Catalysis Center for Energy Innovation (CCEI), RAPID Manufacturing Institute, and Delaware Energy Institute (DEI), 221 Academy St., University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware, DE, 19716, United States.
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15
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Achievements and Expectations in the Field of Computational Heterogeneous Catalysis in an Innovation Context. Top Catal 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s11244-021-01489-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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16
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Achieving industrial ammonia synthesis rates at near-ambient conditions through modified scaling relations on a confined dual site. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:2106527118. [PMID: 34282023 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2106527118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The production of ammonia through the Haber-Bosch process is regarded as one of the most important inventions of the 20th century. Despite significant efforts in optimizing the process, it still consumes 1 to 2% of the worldwide annual energy for the high working temperatures and pressures. The design of a catalyst with a high activity at milder conditions represents another challenge for this reaction. Herein, we combine density functional theory and microkinetic modeling to illustrate a strategy to facilitate low-temperature and -pressure ammonia synthesis through modified energy-scaling relationships using a confined dual site. Our results suggest that an ammonia synthesis rate two to three orders of magnitude higher than the commercial Ru catalyst can be achieved under the same reaction conditions with the introduction of confinement. Such strategies will open pathways for the development of catalysts for the Haber-Bosch process that can operate at milder conditions and present more economically viable alternatives to current industrial solutions.
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17
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Sun G, Fuller JT, Alexandrova AN, Sautet P. Global Activity Search Uncovers Reaction Induced Concomitant Catalyst Restructuring for Alkane Dissociation on Model Pt Catalysts. ACS Catal 2021. [DOI: 10.1021/acscatal.0c05421] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Geng Sun
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California 90095, United States
| | - Jack T. Fuller
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California 90095, United States
| | - Anastassia N. Alexandrova
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California 90095, United States
- California Nano Systems Institute, Los Angeles, California 90095-1569, United States
| | - Philippe Sautet
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California 90095, United States
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California 90095, United States
- California Nano Systems Institute, Los Angeles, California 90095-1569, United States
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18
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Dong C, Li Y, Cheng D, Zhang M, Liu J, Wang YG, Xiao D, Ma D. Supported Metal Clusters: Fabrication and Application in Heterogeneous Catalysis. ACS Catal 2020. [DOI: 10.1021/acscatal.0c02818] [Citation(s) in RCA: 115] [Impact Index Per Article: 28.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Chunyang Dong
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering and College of Engineering, and BIC-ESAT, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Yinlong Li
- Department of Chemistry and Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Catalysis, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518055, China
| | - Danyang Cheng
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering and College of Engineering, and BIC-ESAT, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Mengtao Zhang
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering and College of Engineering, and BIC-ESAT, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Jinjia Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Coal Conversion, Institute of Coal Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Taiyuan, Shanxi 030001, China
- National Energy Center for Coal to Liquids, Synfuels China Technology Co., Ltd, Beijing 101400, China
| | - Yang-Gang Wang
- Department of Chemistry and Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Catalysis, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518055, China
| | - Dequan Xiao
- Center for Integrative Materials Discovery, Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, University of New Haven, West Haven, Connecticut 06516, United States
| | - Ding Ma
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering and College of Engineering, and BIC-ESAT, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
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19
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Guo H, Sautet P, Alexandrova AN. Reagent-Triggered Isomerization of Fluxional Cluster Catalyst via Dynamic Coupling. J Phys Chem Lett 2020; 11:3089-3094. [PMID: 32227852 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.0c00548] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Metallic cluster catalysts have many thermodynamically accessible isomers with diverse active sites and low reaction barriers, and lately a strong hypothesis emerged that the many catalyst states collectively drive the catalysis. However, it remained a hypothesis that catalyst isomerization is actually kinetically feasible under the current reaction conditions. Using high-temperature dynamics simulations and sampling, a range of orientations, and vibrational energy distributions, we probe how thermal effects and molecular events affect cluster catalyst dynamics. We show that even such a delicate affair as the dissociation or scattering of a methane molecule on the heavy and thus slow Pt13 cluster triggers substantial isomerization of the catalyst, far beyond thermal at 700 K. A kinetic coupling between the methane activity and cluster catalyst dynamics is observed. In return, the thermal dynamics of the cluster affects the methane reaction and scattering probabilities. Hence, molecular events at the surfaces of fluxional cluster catalysts should facilitate the population of an ensemble of catalyst states under the current reaction conditions, with implications for available active sites, reaction mechanisms, and apparent rates.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Philippe Sautet
- California NanoSystems Institute, Los Angeles, California 90095, United States
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20
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Campbell CT, López N, Vajda S. Catalytic properties of model supported nanoparticles. J Chem Phys 2020; 152:140401. [PMID: 32295369 DOI: 10.1063/5.0007579] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Charles T Campbell
- Department of Chemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195-1700, USA
| | - Núria López
- Institute of Chemical Research of Catalonia, ICIQ, The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, BIST, Av. Països Catalans 16, 43007 Tarragona, Spain
| | - Stefan Vajda
- Department of Nanocatalysis, J. Heyrovský Institute of Physical Chemistry, Czech Academy of Sciences, Dolejškova 3, 18223 Prague 8, Czech Republic
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21
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Sun G, Alexandrova AN, Sautet P. Structural Rearrangements of Subnanometer Cu Oxide Clusters Govern Catalytic Oxidation. ACS Catal 2020. [DOI: 10.1021/acscatal.0c00824] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Geng Sun
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California 90095, United States
| | - Anastassia N. Alexandrova
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California 90095, United States
- California Nano Systems Institute, Los Angeles, California 90095, United States
| | - Philippe Sautet
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California 90095, United States
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California 90095, United States
- California Nano Systems Institute, Los Angeles, California 90095, United States
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