Effect of steps on the decomposition of CH3O at PdZn alloy surfaces

The decomposition of methoxide (CH(3)O) on a PdZn alloy is considered to be the rate-limiting step of steam re-forming of methanol over a Pd/ZnO catalyst. Our previous density functional (DF) studies (Langmuir 2004, 20, 8068; Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys. 2004, 6, 4499) revealed only a very low propensity of defect-free flat (111) and (100) PdZn surfaces to promote C-H or C-O bond breaking of CH(3)O. Thus, we applied the same DF periodic slab-model approach to investigate these two routes of CH(3)O decomposition on PdZn(221) surfaces that expose Pd, (221)(Pd), and Zn, (221)(Zn), steps. C-H bond cleavage of CH(3)O is greatly facilitated on (221)(Pd): the calculated activation energy is dramatically reduced, to approximately 50 kJ mol(-1) from approximately 90 kJ mol(-1) on flat PdZn surfaces, increasing the rate constant by a factor of 10(8). The lower barrier is mainly due to a weaker interaction of the reactant CH(3)O and an enhanced interaction of the product CH(2)O with the substrate. The activation energy for C-O bond scission did not decrease on the (221)(Pd) step. On the (221)(Zn) step, the calculated reaction barriers of both decomposition routes are even higher than on flat surfaces, because of the stronger adsorption of CH(3)O. Steps (and other defects) appear to be crucial for methanol steam re-forming on Pd/ZnO catalyst; the stepped surface PdZn(221)(Pd) is a realistic model for studying the reactivity of this catalyst.     

Transition metal clusters and supported species with metal-carbon bonds from first-principles quantum chemistry

We discuss the impact of density functional electronic structure calculations for understanding the organometallic chemistry of transition metal (TM) surface complexes and clusters. Examples will cover three types of systems, mainly of interest in the context of heterogeneous catalysis: (i) supported carbonyl complexes of rhenium on MgO and of rhodium in zeolites, (ii) TM clusters with CO ligands and adsorbates, and (iii) metal clusters exhibiting chemical bonds with atomic carbon. The first group of case studies promotes the concept that surface groups of oxide supports are bonded to TM complexes in the same way as common (poly-dentate) ligands are bonded in coordination compounds. The second group of examples demonstrates various “ligand effects” of TM clusters. Finally, we illustrate how carbido centers stabilize TM clusters and modify the propensity for adsorption at the surface of such clusters.     

A value on ′AN

We prove here the existence of a value (of norm 1) on the spaces N A and even A N, the closure in the variation distance of the linear space spanned by all games f, where is a non-atomic, non-negative finitely additive measure of mass 1 and f a real-valued function on [0,1] which satisfies a much weaker continuity at zero and one. 1991 Mathematics Subject Classification. 90A08, 90A07This research was in part supported by the Belgian Programme on Interuniversity Poles of Attraction, initiated by the Prime Ministers Science Policy Office.     

Correlated equilibrium and potential games

Any correlated equilibrium of a strategic game with bounded payoffs and convex strategy sets which has a smooth concave potential, is a mixture of pure strategy profiles which maximize the potential. If moreover, the strategy sets are compact and the potential is strictly concave, then the game has a unique correlated equilibrium.     

Stochastic games

Stochastic Games have a value.