Vanadium oxides on aluminum oxide supports. 1. Surface termination and reducibility of vanadia films on alpha-Al2O3(0001)

Using density functional theory and statistical thermodynamics, we obtained the phase diagram of thin VnOm films of varying thickness (approximately 2-6 A, 1-6 vanadium layers) supported on alpha-Al2O3(0001). Depending on the temperature, oxygen pressure, and vanadium concentration, films with different thickness and termination may form. In ultrahigh vacuum (UHV), at room temperature and for low vanadium concentrations, an ultrathin (1 x 1) O=V-terminated film is most stable. As more vanadium is supplied, the thickest possible films form. Their structures and terminations correspond to previous findings for the (0001) surface of bulk V2O3 [Kresse et al., Surf. Sci. 2004, 555, 118]. The presence of surface vanadyl (O=V) groups is a prevalent feature. They are stable up to at least 800 K in UHV. Vanadyl oxygen atoms induce a V(2p) core-level shift of about 2 eV on the surface V atoms. The reducibility of the supported films is characterized by the energy of oxygen defect formation. For the stable structures, the results vary between 4.11 and 3.59 eV per 1/2O2. In contrast, oxygen removal from the V2O5(001) surface is much easier (1.93 eV). This provides a possible explanation for the lower catalytic activity of vanadium oxides supported on alumina compared to that of crystalline vanadia particles.     

Growth and sintering of Pd clusters on alpha-Al2O3(0001)

The growth and sintering of Pd nanoparticles on alpha-Al(2)O(3)(0001) have been studied by noncontact atomic force microscopy (NC-AFM), low-energy ion scattering spectroscopy (LEIS), temperature-programmed desorption (TPD) and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). This is the first study of metal nanoparticles on a well-defined oxide surface where both NC-AFM and LEIS are used for characterization. These prove to be a powerful combination in assessing particle dimensions. The clean alumina surface showed atomically flat, 200-700 nm wide terraces. The sharp step edges are straight (within our resolution) for lengths of >300 nm and have heights in multiples of 0.2 nm. The Pd grows initially as two-dimensional (2D) islands at 300 K, with the transition to 3D particle growth at 0.25 ML (ML=monolayers). Upon heating at 1 K/s, the Pd starts to sinter below 400 K, and sinters at a nearly constant rate with increasing temperature, covering approximately 50% less of the alumina surface by approximately 1000 K, with a doubling in particle diameter and an eightfold decrease in particle number density. By approximately 1000 K, the number density was approximately 9 x 10(11)cm(2) for 0.8 ML of Pd, with an average diameter of 5 nm and an average thickness of 1 nm.     

Interactions of O(2) with Pd nanoparticles on alpha-Al(2)O(3)(0001) at low and high O(2) pressures

The interaction of O(2) with small Pd particles (2-10 nm) supported on an alpha-Al(2)O(3)(0001) single crystal under both ultrahigh vacuum (UHV) and high-pressure conditions has been studied by temperature-programmed desorption (TPD), temperature-programmed low-energy ion scattering (TP-LEIS), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). A low O(2) exposure (30 L) at 500 K leads to surface oxygen adatoms on the Pd nanoparticles, which desorb in TPD as O(2) in a peak at approximately 880 K. Surface O adatoms on the smallest Pd particles move to subsurface sites starting at 400 K, and they almost all move subsurface by approximately 750 K, desorbing mainly at considerably higher temperature. The dominant oxygen species above 700 K is subsurface, implying that it is more stable than oxygen adatoms on Pd. Exposures of the Pd nanoparticles to 25 Torr O(2) at 373-473 K readily convert the Pd to a species whose Pd XPS peak shifts by the same amount as the binding energy difference between bulk Pd and bulk PdO. We attribute this to PdO nanoparticles (or a thin film of PdO on or under the Pd for the larger particles). The decomposition of the PdO on these nanoparticles to Pd in an equilibrium O(2) pressure of 10-7 Torr does not occur until approximately 750 K, or approximately 200 K higher than the equilibrium decomposition of bulk PdO. This is attributed to the higher energy of Pd nanoparticles compared to bulk Pd and, for the larger particles, to the adhesion energy of the PdO film to the Pd, both of which stabilize the PdO on these Pd nanoparticles relative to bulk PdO. This PdO-like film on the larger particles may be similar to the ordered oxide thin film previously reported to form on Pd(111) but may also reside at the alpha-Al(2)O(3) interface and be partially stabilized by adhesion to this interface.     

First principles study of gallium atom adsorption on the alpha-Al2O3(0001) surface

The adsorption of Ga atoms in low coverage on the Al-terminated alpha-Al(2)O(3)(0001) surface has been studied theoretically by using first principles periodic boundary condition (PBC) calculations within the framework of the generalized gradient approximation (GGA). Eight possible adsorption sites are investigated, but only two are found to correspond to stationary points. Both of these locations are characterized as hollow sites, with three surrounding surface O atoms and an Al atom in the center located deeper within the Al(2)O(3) slab. The slight difference in the stability of these two sites is due to a difference in the chemical interactions between the Ga atom and the surface O atoms. Strong interactions between the Highest Occupied Molecular Orbital (HOMO) of the Ga atom and the surface state of the Al(2)O(3) surface are observed. This interaction promotes charge transfer from the Ga to the surface Al atoms, which in turn causes the surface Al atoms to move up from the surface.     

High resolution AFM images of the single-crystal alpha-Al2O3(0001) surface in water

The (0001) surface of alpha-Al(2)O(3) single crystals has been imaged by atomic force microscopy in water. The observed hexagonal lattice arrangement has a period of 4.7 A, in good agreement with the known bulk unit cell. The sample cleaning procedure was found to be crucial in obtaining clean terraces and achieving lattice resolution.     

Morphological evolution of Ba(NO3)2 supported on alpha-Al2O3(0001): an in situ TEM study

A key question for the BaO-based NOx storage/reduction catalyst system is the morphological evolution of the catalyst particles during the uptake and release of NOx. Notably, because the formed product during NOx uptake, Ba(NO3)2, requires a lattice expansion from BaO, one can anticipate that significant structural rearrangements are possible during the storage/reduction processes. Associated with the small crystallite size of high-surface area gamma-Al2O3, it is difficult to extract structural and morphological features of Ba(NO3)2 supported on gamma-Al2O3 by any direct imaging method, including transmission electron microscopy. In this work, by choosing a model system of Ba(NO3)2 particles supported on single-crystal alpha-Al2O3, we have investigated the structural and morphological features of Ba(NO3)2 as well as the formation of BaO from Ba(NO3)2 during the thermal release of NOx, using ex-situ and in-situ TEM imaging, electron diffraction, energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), and Wulff shape construction. We find that Ba(NO3)2 supported on alpha-Al2O3 possesses a platelet morphology, with the interface and facets being invariably the eight [111] planes. Formation of the platelet structure leads to an enlarged interface area between Ba(NO3)2 and alpha-Al2O3, indicating that the interfacial energy is lower than the Ba(NO3)2 surface free energy. In fact, Wulff shape constructions indicate that the interfacial energy is approximately 1/4 of the [111] surface free energy of Ba(NO3)2. The orientation relationship between Ba(NO3)2 and the alpha-Al2O3 is alpha-Al2O3[0001]//Ba(NO3)2[111] and alpha-Al2O3(1-210)//Ba(NO3)2(110). Thus, the results clearly demonstrate dramatic morphology changes in these materials during NOx release processes. Such changes are expected to have significant consequences for the operation of the practical NOx storage/reduction catalyst technology.     

Modeling adsorption of the uranyl dication on the hydroxylated alpha-Al2O3(0001) surface in an aqueous medium. Density functional study

As a first step toward modeling the interaction of dissolved actinide contaminants with mineral surfaces, we studied low-coverage adsorption of aqueous uranyl, UO2(2+), on the hydroxylated alpha-Al2O3(0001) surface. We carried out density functional periodic slab model calculations and modeled solvation effects by explicit aqua ligands. We explored the formation of both inner- and outer-sphere complexes and estimated the corresponding adsorption energies. Effects of solvation were accounted for by explicit consideration of the first hydration shell of uranyl and by means of a posteriori corrections for long-range solvent effect. With energetics described at the GGA-PW91 level and under the assumption of a fully protonated ideal surface, we predict a weakly bound outer-sphere adsorption complex.     

Structural, energetic, electronic, bonding, and vibrational properties of Ga3O, Ga3O2, Ga3O3, Ga2O3, and GaO3 clusters

The results of density functional theory based calculations on Ga3O, Ga3O2, Ga3O3, Ga2O3, and GaO3 clusters are reported here. A preference for planar arrangement of the constituent atoms maximizing the ionic interactions is found in the ground state of the clusters considered. The sequential oxidation of the metal-excess clusters increases the binding energy, but the sequential removal of a metal atom from the oxygen-excess clusters decreases the binding energy. The increase in the oxygen to metal ratio in these clusters is accompanied by increase in both electron affinity and ionization potential. The ionization induced structural distortions in the neutral clusters are relatively small, except those for Ga3O2. In anionic (cationic) clusters, the added (ionized) electron is shared by the Ga atoms, except in the case of GaO3. The vibrational frequencies and charge density analysis reveal the importance of the ionic Ga-O bond in stabilizing the gallium oxide clusters considered in this study.     

17O MAS and 3QMAS NMR investigation of crystalline V(2)O(5) and layered V(2)O(5).nH(2)O gels

The environments for oxygen sites in crystalline V(2)O(5) and in layered vanadia gels produced via sol-gel synthesis have been investigated using (17)O MAS and 3QMAS NMR. For crystalline V(2)O(5), three structural oxygen sites were observed: V=O (vanadyl), V(2)O (doubly coordinated), and V(3)O (triply coordinated). Line-shape parameters for these sites were determined from numerical simulations of the MAS spectra. For the vanadia gels at various stages of dehydration, assignments have been proposed for numerous vanadyl, doubly coordinated, and triply coordinated oxygen sites. In addition, by correlating the (17)O MAS and 3QMAS NMR, (51)V MAS NMR, and thermogravimetric analysis data, the coordination of water sites has been established. On the basis of these results, the gel structure and its evolution at various stages of hydration have been detailed. Upon rehydration of the layered gel, we observed a preferred site for initial water readsorption. The oxygen atoms of these readsorbed water molecules readily exchanged into all types of oxygen sites even at room temperature.     

Doppeloktaeder-Cluster [V2O9] in der Kristallstruktur von Vanadium(III)-diphosphat,V4(P2O7)3

Double-Octahedra Clusters [V₂O₉] in the Crystal Structure of Vanadium (III) Diphosphate, V₄(P₂O₇)₃ . As the first example for M^III diphosphates the crystal structure of V₄(P₂O₇)₃ (“ I ”) has been determined by means of X-ray diffraction of single crystals. I – according to [7] obtainable by thermal interaction of V₂O₅, H₃PO₃, and H₃PO₄ – crystallizes orthorhombically (data see above); in the unit cell two kinds of isolated doubleoctahedra (clusters) [V₂O₉], having the symmetry C_s, exist. Due to a mutual face-connection of the octahedra, within these clusters relatively short V–V distances are resulting: 2.774(8) and 3.026(7) Å. The diphosphate anions, O₃POPO₃^4? (three kinds; each having the symmetry C_s and staggered conformation), exhibit POP bond angles of 170°, being remarkably large for non-centrosymmetry. Because of the [M₂^IIIO₉] clusters in I , and also in the isostructural diphosphates Cr₄(P₂O₇)₃ and Fe₄(P₂O₇₃), magnetic investigations seem to be challenged.     

Structural, optical, physical and electrical properties of V2O5.SrO.B2O3 glasses

The present work aims to study the structure and variation of optical band gap, density and dc electrical conductivity in vanadium strontium borate glasses. The glass systems xV2O5.(40-x)SrO.60B2O3 and xV2O5.(60-x)B2O3.40SrO with x varying from 0 to 20 mol% were prepared by normal melt quench technique. Structural studies were made by recording IR transmission spectra. The fundamental absorption edge for all the glasses was analyzed in terms of the theory proposed by Davis and Mott. The position of absorption edge and hence the value of the optical band gap was found to depend on the semiconducting glass composition. The absorption in these glasses is believed to be associated with indirect transitions. The origin of Urbach energy is associated with the phonon-assisted indirect transitions. The change in both density and molar volume was discussed in terms of the structural modifications that take place in the glass matrix on addition of V2O5. dc conductivity of the glass systems is also reported. The change of conductivity and activation energy with composition indicates that the conduction process varies from ionic to polaronic one.     

Two new hybrid organic/inorganic copper(II)-oxovanadate(V) diphosphonates: [Cu2(phen)2(O3PCH2PO3)(V2O5)(H2O)] x H2O and [Cu2(phen)2(O3P(CH2)3PO3)(V2O5)] x C3H8. Synthesis, structure, and magnetic properties

Two new hybrid organic/inorganic copper oxovanadium diphosphonates [Cu2(phen)2(O3PCH2PO3)(V2O5)(H2O)] x H2O (1) and [(Cu2(phen)2(O3P(CH2)3PO3)(V2O5)] x C3H8 (2) have been obtained by hydrothermal synthesis. The compounds are monoclinic, and they crystallize in the space group P2(1)/n with cell parameters of a = 11.788(2) A, b = 17.887(3) A, c = 14.158(2) A, and beta = 93.99(0) degrees and in the space group C2/c with cell parameters of a = 11.025(1) A, b = 18.664(2) A, c = 15.054(2) A, and beta = 90.06(0) degrees, respectively. Both compounds present two-dimensional frameworks built up from infinite chains of corner-sharing vanadium tetrahedra and diphosphonate groups connected by copper tetramers for (1) and copper dimers for (2). The remarkable feature of (2) is the encapsulation of propane molecules, stabilized by strong hydrogen bonding between the layers. The magnetic properties of the compounds have been investigated showing antiferromagnetic coupling with Tmax = 64 K for (1) and Curie-like paramagnetic behavior for (2).     

Influence of oxides of the rare earth elements (La2O3, CeO2) on the thermal stability of highly dispersed aluminum oxide

It has been established that addition of oxides of the rare earth elements (La₂O₃, CeO₂, and their mixtures) increases the thermal stability of the porous structure of highly dispersed aluminum oxide-a secondary carrier of structured catalysts. The greatest stabilizing effect was noted with La₂O₃. The reason for this effect is the formation of a solid solution of La₂O₃ in Al₂O₃ which prevents the diffusion of aluminum ions and slows the transition of low temperature modifications of Al₂O₃ into high temperature α-Al₂O₃. __________ Translated from Teoreticheskaya i éksperimental’naya Khimiya, Vol. 42, No. 5, pp. 318–323, September–October, 2006.     

Structure and reactivity of V(2)O(5): bulk solid, nanosized clusters, species supported on silica and alumina, cluster cations and anions

Vanadyl bond dissociation energies are calculated by density functional theory (DFT). While the hybrid (B3LYP) functional results are close to the available reference data, gradient corrected functionals (BP86, PBE) yield large errors (about 50 to 100 kJ mol(-1)), but reproduce trends correctly. PBE calculations on a V(20)O(62)H(24) cluster model for the (001) surface of V(2)O(5) crystals virtually reproduce periodic slab calculations. The low bond dissociation energy (formation of oxygen surface defect) of 113 kJ mol(-1)(B3LYP) is due to substantial structure relaxations leading to formation of V-O-V bonds between the V(2)O(5) layers of the crystal. This relaxation cannot occur in polyhedral (V(2)O(5))(n) clusters and also not for V(2)O(5) species supported on silica or alumina (represented by cage-type models) for which bond dissociation energies of 250-300 kJ mol(-1) are calculated. The OV(OCH(3))(3) molecule and its dimer are also considered. Radical cations V(2)O(5)(+) and V(4)O(10)(+) have very low bond dissociation energies (22 and 14 kJ mol(-1), respectively), while the corresponding radical anions have higher dissociation energies (about 330 kJ mol(-1)) than the neutral clusters. The bond dissociation energies of the closed shell V(3)O(7)(+) cation (165 kJ mol(-1)) and the closed shell V(3)O(8)(-) anion (283 kJ mol(-1)) are closest to the values of the neutral clusters. This makes them suitable for gas phase studies which aim at comparisons with V(2)O(5) species on supporting oxides.     

Structural variability in transition metal oxide clusters: gas phase vibrational spectroscopy of V3O(6-8)+

We present gas phase vibrational spectra of the trinuclear vanadium oxide cations V(3)O(6)(+)·He(1-4), V(3)O(7)(+)·Ar(0,1), and V(3)O(8)(+)·Ar(0,2) between 350 and 1200 cm(-1). Cluster structures are assigned based on a comparison of the experimental and simulated IR spectra. The latter are derived from B3LYP/TZVP calculations on energetically low-lying isomers identified in a rigorous search of the respective configurational space, using higher level calculations when necessary. V(3)O(7)(+) has a cage-like structure of C(3v) symmetry. Removal or addition of an O-atom results in a substantial increase in the number of energetically low-lying structural isomers. V(3)O(8)(+) also exhibits the cage motif, but with an O(2) unit replacing one of the vanadyl oxygen atoms. A chain isomer is found to be most stable for V(3)O(6)(+). The binding of the rare gas atoms to V(3)O(6-8)(+) clusters is found to be strong, up to 55 kJ/mol for Ar, and markedly isomer-dependent, resulting in two interesting effects. First, for V(3)O(7)(+)·Ar and V(3)O(8)(+)·Ar an energetic reordering of the isomers compared to the bare ion is observed, making the ring motif the most stable one. Second, different isomers bind different number of rare gas atoms. We demonstrate how both effects can be exploited to isolate and assign the contributions from multiple isomers to the vibrational spectrum. The present results exemplify the structural variability of vanadium oxide clusters, in particular, the sensitivity of their structure on small perturbations in their environment.     

Synthesis and Crystal Structure of Cs(VO2)3(TeO3)2, a New Layered Cesium Vanadium(V) Tellurite

Synthetic Cs(VO₂)₃(TeO₃)₂ is built up from infinite sheets of distorted octahedral V^VO₆ groups, sharing vertices. These octahedral layers are “capped” by Te atoms (as parts of pyramidal [Te^IVO₃]^2– groups) on both faces of each V/O sheet, with inter‐layer, 12‐coordinate, Cs⁺ cations providing charge compensation. Cs(VO₂)₃(TeO₃)₂ is isostructural with M(VO₂)₃(SeO₃)₂ (M = NH₄, K). Crystal data: Cs(VO₂)₃(TeO₃)₂, M_r = 732.93, hexagonal, space group P6₃ (No. 173), a = 7.2351(9) Å, c = 11.584(2) Å, V = 525.1(2) ų, Z = 2, R(F) = 0.030, wR(F ²) = 0.063.     

Crystal Structure and Magnetic Properties of a Vanadium (IV) Pyrophosphate: Rb2V3P4O17

The crystal structure of Rb₂V₃P₄O₁₇ has been determined from single-crystal X-ray diffraction data. Rb₂V₃P₄O₁₇ crystallizes in the orthorhombic space group Pnma (No. 62) with a = 17.502(7), b = 7.292(2), c = 11.399(6) ų, V = 1455(1) ų, Z=4, R=0.0295, R_W = 0.0320 for 1129 unique reflections with I > 2.5 σ(I). The structure contains intersecting tunnels where the Rb⁺ cations are located. The framework can be described as consisting of V²O₁₀ units formed from one VO₅ square pyramid and one VO₆ octahedron sharing a corner, and infinite chains of corner-shared VO₆ octahedra, which are linked in three dimensions by pyrophosphate groups. The structural formula is Rb₂(VO)₃(P₂O₇)₂. A single-phase product can be obtained by heating appropriate amounts of Rb₄V₂O₇, VO₂, V, and P₂O₅ in an evacuated fused silica tube at 950°C. Powder magnetic susceptibility data confirm the presence of V⁴⁺ (d¹) ions without magnetic ordering down to 3 K.