The nature of transition-metal-oxide surfaces

The surfaces of the 3d-transition-metal oxides form a rich and important system in which to study the effects of atomic geometry, ligand coordination and d-orbital population on surface electronic structure and chemisorption. This article considers the properties of those surfaces in terms of the types of surface structures that can exist, including steps and point defects, and their relation to the experimental data that is available for well characterized, single-crystal surfaces. The electronic structure of nearly perfect surfaces is very similar to that of the bulk for many of the oxides that have been studied; atoms at step sites also appear to have properties similar to those of atoms on terraces. Point defects are often associated with surfaces 0 vacancies and attendant transfer of electrons to adjacent metal cations. Those cations are poorly screened from each other, and the excess charge is presumably shared between two or more cations having reduced ligand coordination. Point defects are generally more active for chemisorption than are perfect surfaces, however for Ti₂O₃ and V₂O₃, whose cations have 3d¹ and 3d² electronic configurations respectively, the cleaved (047) surface is more active than are surfaces having a high density of defects. The chemisorption behavior of both nearly perfect and defect surfaces of 3d-transition-metal oxides varies widely from one material to another, and it is suggestive to correlate this with cation d-orbital population. However, too few oxides have yet been studied to draw any firm conclusions. Additional theoretical work on perfect surfaces, defects and chemisorption is also necessary in order to gain a more complete understanding of transition-metal-oxide surfaces.     

A DFT Study of the Reactivity of Anatase TiO2 and Tetragonal ZrO2 Stepped Surfaces Compared to the Regular (101) Terraces

It is generally assumed that low‐coordinated sites at extended defects of oxide surfaces like steps or edges are more reactive than the regular, fully coordinated sites at the flat terraces. In this work we have considered the properties of stepped surfaces of anatase TiO₂ and tetragonal ZrO₂ by means of periodic DFT+U calculations. For both oxides, the stability of oxygen vacancies located near the step edges is compared to that of the same defects at the regular terraces. The capability of the steps to induce nucleation of metal nanoparticles on the surface has been evaluated by simulating the adsorption of a single ruthenium adatom. We conclude that, for anatase, step edges have no particular role in favouring the reduction of the oxide by reducing the cost for oxygen abstraction; in the same way, there is no special role of the stepped anatase surface in stabilizing adsorbed Ru atoms. On the contrary, step edges on zirconia display some capability to stabilise oxygen vacancies and ruthenium adatoms.     

Nanomaterials of high surface energy with exceptional properties in catalysis and energy storage

The properties of nanomaterials for use in catalytic and energy storage applications strongly depends on the nature of their surfaces. Nanocrystals with high surface energy have an open surface structure and possess a high density of low-coordinated step and kink atoms. Possession of such features can lead to exceptional catalytic properties. The current barrier for widespread industrial use is found in the difficulty to synthesise nanocrystals with high-energy surfaces. In this critical review we present a review of the progress made for producing shape-controlled synthesis of nanomaterials of high surface energy using electrochemical and wet chemistry techniques. Important nanomaterials such as nanocrystal catalysts based on Pt, Pd, Au and Fe, metal oxides TiO(2) and SnO(2), as well as lithium Mn-rich metal oxides are covered. Emphasis of current applications in electrocatalysis, photocatalysis, gas sensor and lithium ion batteries are extensively discussed. Finally, a future synopsis about emerging applications is given (139 references).     

Role of electronegativity in the qualitative inference of the TOF-SIMS fragment pattern of inorganic compounds

The role of the electronegativity of atoms in inorganic compounds in TOF-SIMS fragmentation is discussed. From a study of approximately 30 inorganic compounds--chlorides, oxides, nitrates, and sulfates--a simple rule has been proposed for the dependence of fragment pattern appearance on the electronegativity (electron affinity), which can be easily obtained from handbooks, and the valence of positive and negative ions in these compounds. TOF-SIMS measurements of metal and alloy surfaces, should be corrected for the ionization potentials and/or electronegativities of atoms present in surface contaminants.     

Metal oxide surface charge mediated hemostasis

Blood coagulates faster upon contact with polar glasslike surfaces than on nonpolar plastic surfaces; this phenomenon is commonly termed the glass effect. However, the variable hemostatic response that we report here for contact-activated coagulation by different metal oxides, all of which are polar substrates, requires a refinement of this simple polarity model of how inorganic metal oxides activate the intrinsic pathway of blood coagulation. To our knowledge, the role of metal oxide surface charge as determined at the physiological pH and Ca2+ concentration of blood has not been previously investigated. We find that basic oxides with an isoelectric point above the pH of blood are anticoagulant while acidic oxides with an isoelectric point below the pH of blood are procoagulant. Using a thromboelastograph, we find that the onset time for coagulation and rate of coagulation post-initiation depend on both the sign and the magnitude of the initial surface charge density of the metal oxide. This work presents a useful strategy based on a quantifiable material parameter to select metal oxides to elicit a predictable and tunable biological response when they are in contact with blood.     

Charge transfer and formation of reduced Ce3+ upon adsorption of metal atoms at the ceria (110) surface

The modification of cerium dioxide with nanoscale metal clusters is intensely researched for catalysis applications, with gold, silver, and copper having been particularly well studied. The interaction of the metal cluster with ceria is driven principally by a localised interaction between a small number of metal atoms (as small as one) and the surface and understanding the fundamentals of the interaction of metal atoms with ceria surfaces is therefore of great interest. Much attention has been focused on the interaction of metals with the (111) surface of ceria, since this is the most stable surface and can be grown as films, which are probed experimentally. However, nanostructures exposing other surfaces such as (110) show high activity for reactions including CO oxidation and require further study; these nanostructures could be modified by deposition of metal atoms or small clusters, but there is no information to date on the atomic level details of metal-ceria interactions involving the (110) surface. This paper presents the results of density functional theory (DFT) corrected for on-site Coulomb interactions (DFT+U) calculations of the adsorption of a number of different metal atoms at an extended ceria (110) surface; the metals are Au, Ag, Cu, Al, Ga, In, La, Ce, V, Cr, and Fe. Upon adsorption all metals are oxidised, transferring electron(s) to the surface, resulting in localised surface distortions. The precise details depend on the identity of the metal atom. Au, Ag, Cu each transfer one electron to the surface, reducing one Ce ion to Ce(3+), while of the trivalent metals, Al and La are fully oxidised, but Ga and In are only partially oxidised. Ce and the transition metals are also partially oxidised, with the number of reduced Ce ions possible in this surface no more than three per adsorbed metal atom. The predicted oxidation states of the adsorbed metal atoms should be testable in experiments on ceria nanostructures modified with metal atoms.     

Properties and structure of manganese oxide-coated clay

In the environment, heavy metals are important contaminants that sorb to and accumulate in soils and sediments. Dominant minerals in the subsurface are oxides and clay, which occur as discrete particles and heterogeneous systems; these surfaces can significantly impact the mobility and bioavailability of metals through sorption. To better understand heterogeneous systems, amorphous (hydrous manganese oxide (HMO)) and crystalline manganese oxides (birnessite and pyrolusite) were coated on montmorillonite. However, the montmorillonite substrate potentially inhibited crystallization of the pyrolusite coating, and also resulted in a poorly crystalline birnessite. Mineralogy and morphology of the coated systems suggest an amorphous structure for HMO and uniform coverage for HMO and birnessite coatings; the presence of Si and Al indicates uncoated areas along intraplanar surfaces. The coating surface charge behaved similarly to that of discrete oxides and clay where the pH(znpc) of HMO- and birnessite-coated clay were 2.8 and 3.1, respectively. Surface area of the coated systems increased while the pore size distribution decreased as compared to the external surface area and pores of montmorillonite. X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) revealed the local structural environment of Mn in the HMO- and birnessite-coated clay was consistent with the pure phase oxides: for HMO-coated clay 3.1 atoms of oxygen at 1.89 +/- 0.02 A in the first shell and 2.7 atoms of manganese at 2.85 +/- 0.02 in the second shell; and, for birnessite-coated clay 6 atoms of oxygen at 1.91 +/- 0.02 A in the first shell and 6 atoms of manganese at distance 2.99 +/- 0.02 A in the second shell. Overall, the surface properties suggest that the coating behaves like that of discrete oxides, an important sink for metal contaminants.     

Nature of the chemical bond between metal atoms and oxide surfaces: new evidences from spin density studies of K atoms on alkaline earth oxides

We have studied the interaction of K atoms with the surface of polycrystalline alkaline-earth metal oxides (MgO, CaO, SrO) by means of CW- and Pulsed-EPR, UV-Vis-NIR spectroscopies and DFT cluster model calculations. The K adsorption site is proposed to be an anionic reverse corner formed at the intersection of two steps, where K binds by more than 1 eV, resulting in thermally stable species up to about 400 K. The bonding has small covalent and large polarization contributions, and the K atom remains neutral, with one unpaired electron in the valence shell. The interaction results in strong modifications of the K electronic wave function which are directly reflected by the hyperfine coupling constant, (K)a(iso). This is found to be a very efficient "probe" to measure the degree of metal-oxide interaction which directly depends on the substrate basicity. These results provide an original and general model of the early stages of the metal-support interaction in the case of ionic oxides.     

Density Functional Theory Study on the Adsorption of CN on Transition Metal M（100） （M = Ni,Pd, Pt,Cu, Ag and Au） Surfaces

The adsorption of cyanide on the top site of a series of transition metal M（100） （M = Cu, Ag, Au, Ni, Pd, Pt） surfaces via carbon and nitrogen atoms respectively, with the CN axis perpendicular to the surface, has been studied by means of density functional theory and cluster model. Geometry, adsorption energy and vibrational frequencies have been determined, and the present calculations show that the adsorption of CN through C-end on metal surface is more favorable than that via N-end for the same surface. The vibrational frequencies of CN for C-down configuration on surface are blue-shifted with respect to the free CN, which is contrary to the change of vibrational frequencies when CN is adsorbed by N-down structure. Furthermore, the charge transfer from surface to CN causes the increase of surface work function.     

Surface oxidation states in Si/SiO2 nanostructures prepared from Si/SiO2 mixtures

Silica nanospheres have been produced by a novel technique where surface Si oxidation states can be adjusted using the ratio of metalloid ions/metalloid atoms in the starting mixture. When the proportions of Si4+/Si0 are equal in the synthesis, the resulting solid is considerably more reactive than Cab-O-Sil toward the phenol hydroxylation reaction and the surface shows an average Si oxidation state of +3. On the other hand, those silica nanospheres, produced from a mixture of Si4+/Si0 = 0.25, showed a lower reactivity comparable to that of Cab-O-Sil which XPS demonstrates has a surprisingly low average Si oxidation state close to +1. We speculate that the silicon surface oxidation state and the number of surface silanol groups play important roles in determining the activity of the solid toward the phenol hydroxylation reaction. In expanding our earlier report4 on the copper-silica system, we establish that the surface chemistry of the silica nanospheres is apparently different from that of fumed, amorphous silica. These results suggest that we are developing a technique that can be generalized to create supported, mixed metal oxides having tunable average surface oxidation states.     

Review of the molar heats of chemisorption and chemabsorption by crystalline oxides and the surface “homogeneity versus heterogeneity” problem

To obtain a solution of the surface “homogeneity versus heterogeneity” problem, the results of microcalorimetric measurements of the dependences of the molar heats of chemisorption and chemabsorption of different gases on the amounts of chemisorbed or chemabsorbed gases in more than 20 gas/metal-oxide systems, in which the molar chemisorption heats are coverage-independent over rather wide ranges of the surface coverages, are presented. In order to approach the states of the metal oxide samples to those in real catalytic processes catalyzed by these oxides, the coverage dependences of the heats of chemisorption of gases at the samples were measured for a number of gas/metal-oxide systems against the chemisorbed amounts of not only the gas under study but also of another gas chemisorbed previously. The calorimetric data-set is supplemented with data obtained by other methods capable of helping to solve the surface “homogeneity versus heterogeneity” problem. These data are discussed together with the data on chemisorption in more than 40 gas/metal systems for which homogeneity of the surfaces was stated in our previous review. The entire set of the measurements was published for several decades by about 40 different composite authors. The chemisorption and chemabsorption mechanisms are discussed. It is concluded that thermally stabilized powder metal and metal oxide surfaces are homogeneous relative to the chemical ability of their atoms in chemisorption and catalytic processes in line with Langmuir’s opinion and the band theory of solids.     

Atomic resolution electron microscopy of small metal clusters

Atomic resolution imaging of cluster structures has been performed with high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM). Metal particles of the sizes 1 nanometer to tens of nanometers have been surface profile imaged on different supports; like zeolites, cordierite and amorphous carbon. It is shown that organic ligands in Schmid-clusters coordinated to the metal surface are desorbed or destroyed by the electron beam. Dynamic events on the surfaces and in the bulk of small metal particles have been recorded for small crystals of Au, Pt, Rh and Pb and can be classified under three headings; The smaller the crystals are the faster rearrangements of the crystal structure; “clouds” of atoms existing outside some surfaces are involved in extensive structural rearrangements of the surface or crystal surface growth; localized atom hopping on surfaces during crystal growth and desorption also occurs.     

Adsorption and characterization of molecular adhesion promoter monolayers on iron surfaces under UHV conditions

To investigate the chemical modification of metal surfaces by silanes and mercaptans used as molecular adhesion promoters between metal surfaces and polymer films, the adsorption of chlorosilanes and n-propylmercaptan has been examined on iron surfaces under ultra high vacuum conditions (UHV). The adsorption of silanes directly from the vapour phase has been impossible in UHV, however, a simultaneous condensation of water and silane leads to a stable silane layer. The hydrolysis reaction is rate determining. Stable mercaptan monolayers have been obtained only on oxygen covered iron surfaces. On pure iron the mercaptan molecules have been cracked, so that methyl groups as well as sulphur atoms could be found. The characterization of the surface layers has been performed by XPS and AES.     

A Theoretical Study on Electronic Transition of CO Adsorption on Platinum Pt(111) Surface

It is now technically possible for Raman spectroscopy to investigate in detail the catalytic reaction on the transition metal surfaces. However, there are only few theoretical papers reported on the contribution of the electronic excited states to the spectroscopic properties. During the interaction of the visible light with the transition metal surface, there exist a number of low-lying excited states due to the unfilled d orbital Nakai and Nakatsuji studied theoretically adsorbed CO on the Pt₂ cluster to simulate CO adsorbed on plartinum surfaces.¹ However it is known that the cluster with only two platinum atoms is insufficient to simulate CO adsorbed at surface. It is suggested in literature that a good simulated result generally needs to adopt a cluster with more than seven atoms. In this paper, we use a duster with 8 platinum atoms in the surface layer, which has been used by Kua and Goddard to mimic the oxidation of methanol on the Pt(111) surface.² Based on the interstitial electron model, they found that the cluster is the smallest and the best cluster possible to be used to mimic Pt(111) surface.     

Manganese Oxide(MnO) and Cadmium Dioxide(CdO_2) Attached to Carbon Nanotube(8, 0) as Anodes of Metal-ion Batteries: a DFT Study

Performance of carbon nanotube(CNT) and their attached metal oxides(manganese oxide(MnO) and cadmium dioxide(CdO2)) structures as anode electrodes in lithium-ion battery(LIB) and potassium-ion battery(KIB) are investigated. The Gibbs free energy of adsorption of Li and K atoms/ions on surfaces of CNT(8, 0), CNT(8, 0)-MnO and CNT(8, 0)-CdO2 are calculated. The cell voltages(Vcell) of Li and K atoms/ions adsorption on studied surfaces are examined. The Vcell of LIBs with metal-oxides attached to CNT(8, 0) as anode electrodes are higher than those KIBs. The adsorbed metal oxides(MnO and CdO2) on CNT(8, 0) increased the charges, electronic conductivity and Vcell of LIB and KIB, efficiently. The CNT(8, 0)-CdO2 as anode electrodes in LIB and KIB is proposed.     

Role of electronegativity in the qualitative inference of the TOF–SIMS fragment pattern of inorganic compounds

The role of the electronegativity of atoms in inorganic compounds in TOF–SIMS fragmentation is discussed. From a study of approximately 30 inorganic compounds – chlorides, oxides, nitrates, and sulfates – a simple rule has been proposed for the dependence of fragment pattern appearance on the electronegativity (electron affinity), which can be easily obtained from handbooks, and the valence of positive and negative ions in these compounds. TOF–SIMS measurements of metal and alloy surfaces, should be corrected for the ionization potentials and/or electronegativities of atoms present in surface contaminants. Received: 9 October 2000 / Revised: 26 February 2001 / Accepted: 1 March 2001     

Surface-enhanced Raman scattering investigation of the adsorption of 2-mercaptobenzoxazole on smooth copper surfaces doped with silver colloidal nanoparticles

The adsorption of 2-mercaptobenzoxazole on copper has been investigated by means of surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) by doping smooth copper surfaces with silver colloidal nanoparticles. The metal surfaces have been characterized by means of atomic force microscopy measurements. The compound adsorbs on the Cu/Ag surfaces in its ionized thiolic form, adopting a tilted orientation with respect to the metal surface. The anion is chemisorbed through the sulfur and nitrogen atoms on the smooth copper surface, and the silver colloidal nanoparticles only enhance the Raman signal due to the electromagnetic mechanism. SERS data have been interpreted with the help of DFT calculations on models of the ligand bound to copper adclusters.     

Photocurrent Response of Surface‐Functionalized Metal Oxides with Well‐Matched Energy Levels: From Nothing to Something

In recent years, an enormous amount of research has been devoted to the study of photosensitive materials from both fundamental and practical viewpoints, due to their wide applications in photocatalytic 1 – 3 and optoelectronic devices, 4 , 5 ultraviolet (UV) photodetectors, 6 – 9 photoswitch microdevices, 10 , 11 light‐emitting diodes, 12 , 13 photovoltaic devices, 14 – 16 and photoelectrochemical cells. 17 Metal oxides, such as ZnO, TiO₂, SnO₂, and NiO have been the most investigated photosensitive materials. 3 , 6 – 8 , 18 – 21 To enhance and take full advantage of their photosensitivity, functionalizing their surface with a polymer that has a high light absorption ability has become one of the widely used methods. 1 – 12 , 22 – 24 For example, Z. L. Wang et al. reported that the UV photocurrent of a ZnO nanobelt‐based sensor was enhanced by close to five orders of magnitude after functionalizing its surface with polystyrene sulfate which has a high UV absorption ability. 25 T. Sasaki et al. reported the assembly of a TiO₂ nanoparticle film with poly(3,4‐ethylenedioxythiophene) and poly(4‐styrene sulfonate) (PEDOT‐PSS) through layer‐by‐layer fabrication in the nanometer scale. The electric conductivity of the TiO₂ composite films could be tuned by UV and visible (Vis) light. 22 Thus, sunlight or photon energy can be used and transformed to electrical energy by UV‐photosensitive metal oxides after their surfaces have been functionalized with a dye that has a high Vis absorption ability. To date, most of the dye‐sensitized solar cells are based on the surface functionalization of UV‐photosensitive metal oxides by dyes. 26 – 28 However, to the best of our knowledge, all of the reports on surface functionalization enhanced only the UV photosensitivity of the metal oxide. In other words, this method has been used exclusively to enhance the UV photocurrent in metal oxides that already have UV‐photosensitive properties, but not to induce UV photocurrent in metal oxides that have no UV‐photosensitive properties. In fact, to the best of our knowledge, there are no surface‐functionalizing reports on inducing UV or Vis photocurrent in metal oxides that have no UV‐ or Vis‐photosensitive properties.     

Investigations on poly(vinyl chloride). IV. Effects of metal chlorides on the thermal decomposition of poly(vinyl chloride)

The effects of various metal oxides upon the thermal decomposition of poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) were previously reported. In this work, 23 metal chlorides were investigated to determine their effects on the thermal decomposition of PVC by pyrolysis–gas chromatography at 500°C. Each metal chloride exhibits influences on the course of thermal decomposition of PVC almost similar to the corresponding metal oxide except for a few elements; the metal chlorides from acidic metal oxides accelerate the thermal decomposition of PVC, but the metal chlorides from basic metal oxides do not. On comparing the effects of metal oxides and metal chlorides on the thermal decomposition of PVC, most metal chlorides were found to accelerate the thermal decomposition of PVC more than the corresponding metal oxides, owing to ease of addition of the chlorine atoms released from metal chloride to the dehydrochlorinated chains. It is concluded from these results that the thermal decomposition of PVC containing metal salts is markedly influenced by the ease with which chlorine atoms are released from the corresponding metal chloride.     

Premodified Surface Method to Obtain Ultra‐Highly Dispersed Metals and their 3D Structure Control on an Oxide Single‐Crystal Surface

Precise control of the three‐dimensional (3D) structure of highly dispersed metal species such as metal complexes and clusters attached to an oxide surface has been important for the development of next‐generation high‐performance heterogeneous catalysts. However, this is not easily achieved for the following reasons. (1) Metal species are easily aggregated on an oxide surface, which makes it difficult to control their size and orientation definitely. (2) Determination of the 3D structure of the metal species on an oxide powder surface is hardly possible. To overcome these difficulties, we have developed the premodified surface method, where prior to metal deposition, the oxide surface is premodified with a functional organic molecule that can strongly coordinate to a metal atom. This method has successfully provided a single metal dispersion on an oxide single‐crystal surface with the 3D structure precisely determined by polarization‐dependent total reflection fluorescence X‐ray absorption fine structure (PTRF‐XAFS). Here we describe our recent results on ultra‐high dispersions of various metal atoms on TiO₂(110) surfaces premodified with mercapto compounds, and show the possibility of fine tuning and orientation control of the surface metal 3D structures.