A theoretical analysis of adsorption and dissociation of CH3OH on the stoichiometric SnO2(110) surface

A theoretical analysis based on the Hartree–Fock pseudopotential method and a density-functional theory calculation using a hybrid combination of general gradient approximation with pseudopotential procedure has been carried out to study the adsorption and dissociation of methanol on the stoichiometric SnO₂(110) surface. The dependence of the results upon model system and computing method is discussed. An optimization procedure of adsorbate and substrate atom positions on a six-layer slab model has been selected to characterize the corresponding geometric parameters, adsorption energy and charge-transfer processes related with the molecularly adsorbed CH₃OH and dissociative channels to yield methoxy or methyl fragments. In the high-coverage limit (θ=1), we find that dissociation of the methanol molecule via the heterolytic cleavage of the C---O bond is favoured. At lower coverage (θ=1/2), this channel and the molecularly adsorbed methanol present similar adsorption energies.     

Mechanism of H2S molecule adsorption on the GaAs(100) surface: Ab initio quantum-chemical analysis

Ab initio quantum-chemical cluster calculations within the density-functional theory were carried out to study the mechanism of H₂S molecule adsorption on the gallium-rich surface of GaAs(100). It was shown that adsorption can occur in four stages: molecular adsorption; dissociative adsorption, during which an HS radical is adsorbed on a gallium atom comprising a dimer while the detached hydrogen atom is adsorbed on another surface atom of the semiconductor; hydrogen adatom migration between neighboring surface atoms of the semiconductor; and the formation of a Ga-S-Ga bridge bond and of a hydrogen molecule. The stationary-state energies and energy barriers to transitions between these states were determined. The conclusions drawn based on an analysis of calculated diagrams of the potential energy of the processes that occur are in good agreement with the experimental data available in the literature.     

Water adsorption on the Be(0001) surface: from monomer to trimer adsorption

In this paper, the density functional theory has been used to perform a comparative theoretical study of water monomer, dimer, trimer, and bilayer adsorptions on the Be(0001) surface. In our calculations, the adsorbed water molecules are energetically favoured adsorbed on the atop sites, and the dimer adsorption is found to be the most stable with a peak adsorption energy of ～437 meV. Further analyses have revealed that the essential bonding interaction between the water monomer and the metal substrate is the hybridization of the water 3a₁-like molecular orbital with the (s, p_z) orbitals of the surface beryllium atoms. While in the case of the water dimer adsorption, the 1b₁-like orbital of the H₂O molecule plays a dominant role.     

Adsorbate-adsorbate interactions and the ordering of organic monolayers on metal surfaces

To study the ordering of molecules adsorbed on single-crystal substrates, a molecular cross-section (MCS) is defined, which measures the surface area occupied by each molecule. With this MCS, a two-dimensional packing coefficient C_2D is then defined for ordered arrays of adsorbed molecules. Values and trends for MCS and C_2D are discussed for known surface structures, especially for benzene adsorbed on metal surfaces. The packing is found to be generally less dense at surfaces than one would expect from comparison with packing in three-dimensional organic crystals. The Van der Waals packing energy and the repulsive dipole-dipole energy are also computed to study this issue. The lack of close-packing is attributed to the need to respect structural coincidence with the substrate and/or co-adsorption of small molecules like CO. These concepts are then applied to the prediction of the long-range order that a monolayer of adsorbed molecules may adopt: thereby possible adsorption structures can be defined, restricting the number of possibilities in a further structural determination.     

Insights into the adsorption of water and oxygen on the cubic CsPbBr3 surfaces: A first-principles study

The degradation mechanism of the all-inorganic perovskite solar cells in the ambient environment remains unclear. In this paper, water and oxygen molecule adsorptions on the all-inorganic perovskite (CsPbBr₃) surface are studied by density-functional theory calculations. In terms of the adsorption energy, the water molecules are more susceptible than the oxygen molecules to be adsorbed on the CsPbBr₃ surface. The water molecules can be adsorbed on both the CsBr- and PbBr-terminated surfaces, but the oxygen molecules tend to be selectively adsorbed on the CsBr-terminated surface instead of the PbBr-terminated one due to the significant adsorption energy difference. While the adsorbed water molecules only contribute deep states, the oxygen molecules introduce interfacial states inside the bandgap of the perovskite, which would significantly impact the chemical and transport properties of the perovskite. Therefore, special attention should be paid to reduce the oxygen concentration in the environment during the device fabrication process so as to improve the stability and performance of the CsPbBr₃-based devices.     

H2在Li掺杂Al7C+上吸附的理论研究

摘要: 利用密度泛函理论研究了H2分子在Li掺杂Al7C+团簇上的吸附．对于Al7C+团簇,H2分子的吸附能仅为-0.017eV,掺杂Li原子到Al7C+团簇可以明显增强对H2分子的吸附．吸附一个H2分子时吸附能可以达到-0.151eV,吸附四个H2分子的平均吸附能为-0.073eV．根据自然键轨道分析,电荷从Li原子向Al7C+团簇转移,带正电的Li离子极化H2分子并且增强了H2分子与Al7CLi+团簇之间的相互作用．     

Investigation of the interaction of some astrobiological molecules with the surface of a graphite (0 0 0 1) substrate. Application to the CO, HCN, H2O and H2CO molecules

Detailed interaction potential energy calculations are performed to determine the potential energy surface experienced by the molecules CO, HCN, H₂O and H₂CO, when adsorbed on the basal plane (0 0 0 1) of graphite at low temperatures. The potential energy surface is used to find the equilibrium site and configuration of a molecule on the surface and its corresponding adsorption energy. The diffusion constant associated with molecular surface diffusion is calculated for each molecule.     

Methanol decomposition on the β-Ga2O3 (1 0 0) surface: A DFT approach

Density functional theory (DFT) cluster model calculations on methanol reactions on the β-Ga₂O₃ (1 0 0) surface have been realized. β-Ga₂O₃ structure has tetrahedral and octahedral ions and the results of gallia-methanol interaction are different depending on the local surface chemical composition. The surface without oxygen vacancies is very reactive and produces the methanol molecule decomposition. The unsaturated surface oxygen atoms strongly oxidize the methanol molecule. CO₂ and H₂O molecules are produced when methanol reacts with a free oxygen vacancy surface on octahedral gallium sites. On the other hand, H₂CO is found after the reaction of this molecule with a free O vacancy surface on tetrahedral gallium sites. A weak interaction between the remaining CO₂ molecule and the oxide surface was found, being this molecule easy to desorb. Otherwise, H₂CO has a stronger surface bond and it could suffer a later oxidation.     

Excitation of adsorbed molecule vibrations in low energy electron scattering

We develop a theory of low energy electron loss spectroscopy of vibrational modes of molecules adsorbed on metal surfaces. Differential and total cross sections are calculated in the Distorted Wave Born Approximation, assuming i) strong elastic scattering on the metal surface, ii) direct electron-molecule interaction via the electric dipole field associated with the molecular vibration. The angular distributions are calculated and discussed for molecules adsorbed at various distances above the metal surface and for several electron energies and impact angles. The influence of electronic screening of dipolar oscillations is discussed and the consequences of the classical induced image dipoles are explored. It is shown that the metal surface selection rule known in IR spectroscopy is only approximately valid in electron scattering. Finally, we give numerical estimates of the inelastic scattering cross sections for the stretching vibrations of CO molecule adsorbed on transition metal surfaces, in reasonable agreement with experiments.     

Energy transfer between adsorbates by means of surface plasmons

Nonradiative electron excitation energy transfer between the molecules adsorbed by the plane conducting surface is investigated. It is demonstrated that the mechanism with participation of surface plasmons can be efficient for energy transfer in such system. A dependence of the energy transfer rate in the donor-acceptor adsorbate pair on the distance and anisotropy parameters is established. The efficiencies of the direct dipoledipole and plasmon channels of energy transfer are compared. The dominating (exceeding by 1–2 orders of magnitude the energy transfer rate in a system without conducting bodies) contribution of the plasmon mechanism to the total energy transfer rate is detected when molecules are close to the metal surface.     

Hydrogen storage of beryllium adsorbed on graphene doping with boron: First-principles calculations

Based on density-functional theory, we find that B-doped graphene significantly enhances the Be adsorption energy and prevent Be atoms from clustering. The complex of Be adsorbed on B-doped graphene can serve as a high-capacity hydrogen storage medium: the hydrogen storage capacity (HSC) can reach up to 15.1 wt% with average adsorption energy ?0.298 eV/H₂ for double-sided adsorption. It has exceeded the target specified by US Department of Energy with HSC of 9 wt% and a binding energy of ?0.2 to ?0.6 eV/H₂ at near-ambient conditions. By analyzing the projected electronic density of states of the adsorbed system, we show that the high HSC is due to the change of electron distribution of H₂ molecules and a graphene system decorated with B and Be atoms.     

Interaction and local magnetic moments of metal phthalocyanine and tetraphenylporphyrin molecules on noble metal surfaces

In order to understand the Kondo effect observed in molecular systems, first-principles calculations have been widely used to predict the ground state properties of molecules on metal substrates. In this work, the interaction and the local magnetic moments of magnetic molecules （3d-metal phthalocyanine and tetraphenylporphyrin molecules） on noble metal surfaces are investigated based on the density functional theory. The calculation results show that the dz2 orbital of the transition metal atom of the molecule plays a dominant role in the molecule-surface interaction and the adsorption energy exhibits a simple declining trend as the adsorption distance increases. In addition, the Au（111） surface generally has a weak interaction with the adsorbed molecule compared with the Cu（ll 1） surface and thus serves as a better candidate substrate for studying the Kondo effect. The relation between the local magnetic moment and the Coulomb interaction U is examined by carrying out the GGA＋U calculation according to Dudarev＇s scheme. We find that the Coulomb interaction is essential for estimating the local magnetic moment in molecule-surface systems, and we suggest that the reference values of parameter U are 2 eV for Fe and 2-3 eV for Co.     

DFT study of NH3 dissociation on Si(1 1 1)-7 × 7. The role of intermolecular interactions

The adsorption of NH₃ molecule on the Si(1 1 1)-7 × 7 surface modelled with a cluster has been studied using density functional theory (DFT). The results indicate the existence of a precursor state for the non-dissociative chemisorption. The active site for the molecular chemisorption is the adatom; while the NH₃ molecule adsorbs on the Si restatom via this preadsorbed state, the adsorption on the Si adatom is produced practically without an energy barrier. The ammonia adsorption on the adatom induces an electron transfer from the dangling bond of this atom to the dangling bond of the adjacent Si restatom, hindering this site for the adsorption of a second NH₃ incoming molecule. However, this second molecule links strongly by means of two H-bonds. The dissociative chemisorption process was studied considering one and two ammonia molecules. For the dissociation of a lonely NH₃ molecule an energy barrier of ∼0.3 eV was calculated, yielding NH₂ on the adatom and H on the restatom. When two molecules are adsorbed, the NH₃-NH₃ interaction yields the weakening of a N-H bond of the ammonia molecule adsorbed closer the Si surface. As a consequence, the dissociation barrier practically disappears. Thus, the presence of a second NH₃ molecule at the adatom-restatom pair of the Si(1 1 1)-7 × 7 surface makes the dissociative reaction self-assisted, the total adsorption process elapsing with a negligible activation barrier (less than 0.01 eV).     

A quantum-mechanical study of the vinyl fluoride adsorbed on the rutile TiO2(1 1 0) surface

The adsorption of vinyl fluoride on the rutile TiO₂(1 1 0) surface has been simulated, on the basis of a recently proposed experimental model, using hybrid-exchange density functional theory. Different surface coverages have been considered and the lateral interaction between adsorbed vinyl fluoride molecules has been quantified through a simple model of nearest and next nearest neighbouring molecules. The vibrational frequencies of the adsorbed molecule have been calculated and are found to be in excellent agreement with those observed providing support for the proposed adsorption model. The effect of the adsorption on the electronic structure of the molecule and the surface have been characterised by computing electrostatic potential maps and the local density of states.     

DFT study of BaTiO<Subscript>3</Subscript> (001) surface with O and O<Subscript>2</Subscript> adsorption

Progress of scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) allowed to handle various molecules adsorbed on a given surface. New concepts emerged with molecules on surfaces considered as nano machines by themselves. In this context, a thorough knowledge of surfaces and adsorbed molecules at an atomic scale is thus particularly invaluable. In this work, within the framework of density functional theory (DFT), we present an electronic and structural ab initio study of a BaTiO₃ (001) surface (perovskite structure) in its paraelectric phase. As far as we know the atomic and molecular adsorption of oxygen at surface is then analyzed for the first time in the literature. Relaxation is taken into account for several layers. Its analysis for a depth of at least four layers enables us to conclude that a reasonable approximation for a BaTiO₃ (001) surface is provided with a slab made up of nine plans. The relative stability of two possible terminations is considered. By using a kinetic energy cut off of 400 eV, we found that a surface with BaO termination is more stable than with TiO₂ termination. Consequently, a surface with BaO termination was chosen to adsorb either O atom or O₂ molecule and the corresponding calculations were performed with a coverage 1 on a (1×1) cell. A series of cases with O₂ molecule adsorbed in various geometrical configurations are also analyzed. For O₂, the most favorable adsorption is obtained when the molecule is placed horizontally, with its axis, directed along the Ba-Ba axis and with its centre of gravity located above a Ba atom. The corresponding value of the adsorption energy is -9.70 eV per molecule (-4.85 eV per O atom). The molecule is then rather extended since the O–O distance measures 1.829 ?. By comparison, the adsorption energy of an O atom directly located above a Ba atom is only -3.50 eV. Therefore we are allowed to conclude that the O–O interaction stabilizes atomic adsorption. Also the local densities of states (LDOS) corresponding to various situations are discussed in the present paper. Up to now, we are not aware of experimental data to be compared to our calculated results.     

CH3OH/TiO2(110)界面的光电子能谱研究

Methanol/TiO₂(110) is a model system in the surface science study of photocatalysis where methanol is taken as a hole capture. However, the highest occupied molecular orbital of adsorbed methanol lies below the valence band maximum of TiO₂, preventing the hole transfer. To study the level alignment of this system, electronic structure of methanol covered TiO₂(110) surface has been measured by ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy and the molecular orbitals of adsorbed methanol have been clearly identified. The results indicate the weak interaction between methanol and TiO₂ substrate. The static electronic structure also suggests the mismatch of the energy levels. These static experiments have been performed without band gap excitation which is the prerequisite of a photocatalytic process. Future study of the transient electronic structure using time-resolved UPS has also been discussed.     

表面羟基辅助甲醛分子在金红石型TiO2(110)表面迁移动力学研究

As the photo-dissociation product of methanol on the TiO₂(110) surface,the diffusion and desorption processes of formaldehyde (HCHO) were investigated by using scanning tunneling microscope (STM) and density functional theory (DFT).The molecular-level images revealed the HCHO molecules could diffuse and desorb on the surface at 80 K under UV laser irradiation.The diffusion was found to be mediated by hydrogen adatoms nearby,which were produced from photodissociation of methanol.Diffusion of HCHO was significantly decreased when there was only one H adatom near the HCHO molecule.Furthermore,single HCHO molecule adsorbed on the bare TiO₂(110) surface was quite stable,little photo-desorption was observed during laser irradiation.The mechanism of hydroxyl groups assisted diffusion of formaldehyde was also investigated using theoretical calculations.     

First-principles calculations of SO<Subscript>2</Subscript> sensing with Si nanowires

High chemical reactivity and large surface-to-volume ratio have recently led to growinginterest in the employment of silicon nanowires (SiNWs) in sensing applications forchemical species detection. The working principle of SiNWs sensors resides in thepossibility to induce modifications in their electronic properties via molecularinteraction. A detailed analysis of the interaction of Si with molecular compounds is thenrequired to design and optimize NW-based sensors. Here we study the mechanisms ofadsorption on SiNWs of SO₂, an air pollutant with pernicious effects on humans.First-principles density-functional calculations are performed to calculate the electronicstructure of a SO₂molecule adsorbed at a silicon surface in case of undoped substrate and in presence ofsubstitutional subsurface and deep boron impurities. Comparing the results with the caseof NO₂ adsorption –a similar molecule that, nonetheless has a very different interaction with a Si surface –,we show the specific traits of SO₂ interaction: formation of localized states in theband-gap and absence of reactivation of pre-existing and passivated sub-surfaceimpurities. A connection between the modifications in the system electronic structure andthe strength of the molecular interaction is discussed.     

Vibration spectroscopy of benzene adsorbed on Pt(111) and Ni(111)

High resolution electron energy loss spectroscopy has been applied to study the adsorption of benzene (C₆H₆ and C₆D₆) on Pt(111) and Ni(111) single crystal surfaces between 140 and 320 K. The vibrational spectra provide evidence that benzene is chemisorbed with its ring parallel to the surface, predominantly π bonded to the platinum and nickel surface respectively. A significant frequency increase of the CH-out-of-plane bending mode, largest in the case of platinum, is observed compared to the free molecule. On both metals two phases of benzene exist simultaneously, characterized by a different frequency shift. The shifts are explained by electronic interaction between the metal d-orbitals and molecules adsorbed in on top and threefold hollow sites respectively. The vibrational spectra of the multilayer condensed phase of benzene exhibit the infrared active modes of the gasphase molecule as expected.     

Arsenic pentafluoride surface adsorption studies on Kagome-phosphorene – a DFT outlook

Arsenic pentafluoride (AsF₅) is a highly toxic gas molecule that finds its application in the manufacturing of electro-conductive polymers. Besides, exposure to AsF₅ molecule may invite several health issues, for instance, central-nervous-system disorders. Thus, the detection of AsF₅ gas is a significant and important concern for public health. For the very first time, we built a novel Kagome phosphorene nanosheet (Kagome-PNS) to study the adsorption behavior of AsF₅ molecule on the Kagome-PNS surface using density-functional theory method. The Kagome-PNS owns semiconductor property with an energy gap value of 1.22 eV. Initially, the geometrical stability of Kagome-PNS was verified with the negative value of cohesive formation energy. The transport properties of Kagome-PNS have also been carried out using current-voltage characteristics. Moreover, AsF₅ gas molecules are physisorbed on Kagome-PNS, the adsorption energy of the preferential complex structures is found to be −0.099 to −0.377 eV. An innovative finding of the present study acclaims that Kagome-PNS can be proficiently used as a chemical sensor to detect AsF₅ gas molecules.