Cluster and periodic DFT calculations of MgO/Pd(CO) and MgO/Pd(CO)(2) surface complexes

The bonding and vibrational properties of Pd(CO) and Pd(CO)(2) complexes formed at the (100) surface of MgO have been investigated using the gradient-corrected DFT approach and have been compared to the results of infrared and thermal desorption experiments performed on ultrathin MgO films. Two complementary approaches have been used for the calculation of the electronic properties: the embedded cluster method using localized atomic orbital basis sets and supercell periodic calculations using plane waves. The results show that the two methods provide very similar answers, provided that sufficiently large supercells are used. Various regular and defect adsorption sites for the Pd(CO) and Pd(CO)(2) have been considered: terraces, steps, neutral and charged oxygen vacancies (F and F(+) centers), and divacancies. From the comparison of the computed and experimental results, it is concluded that the most likely site where the Pd atoms are stabilized and where carbonyl complexes are formed are the F(+) centers, paramagnetic defects consisting of a single electron trapped in an anion vacancy.     

Density functional embedded cluster study of Cu(4), Ag(4) and Au(4) species interacting with oxygen vacancies on the MgO(001) surface

Cu(4), Ag(4), and Au(4) species adsorbed on an MgO(001) surface that exhibits neutral (F(s)) and charged (F(s) (+)) oxygen vacancies have been studied using a density functional approach and advanced embedding models. The gas-phase rhombic-planar structure of the coinage metal tetramers is only moderately affected by adsorption. In the most stable surface configuration, the plane of the tetramers is oriented perpendicular to the MgO(001) surface; one metal atom is attached to an oxygen vacancy and another one is bound to a nearby surface oxygen anion. A very similar structural motif was recently found on defect-free MgO(001), where two O(2-) ions serve as adsorption sites. Following the trend of the interactions with the regular MgO(001) surface, Au(4) and Cu(4) bind substantially stronger to F(s) and F(s) (+) sites than Ag(4). This stronger adsorption interaction at oxygen vacancies, in particular at F(s), is partly due to a notable accumulation of electron density on the adsorbates. We also examined the propensity of small supported metal species to aggregate to adsorbed di-, tri- and tetramers. Furthermore, we demonstrated that core-level ionization potentials offer the possibility for detecting experimentally supported metal tetramers and characterizing them structurally with the help of calculated data.     

Identification of defect sites on MgO(100) thin films by decoration with Pd atoms and studying CO adsorption properties.

CO adsorption on Pd atoms deposited on MgO(100) thin films has been studied by means of thermal desorption (TDS) and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopies. CO desorbs from the adsorbed Pd atoms at a temperature of about 250 K, which corresponds to a binding energy, E(b), of about 0.7 +/- 0.1 eV. FTIR spectra suggest that at saturation two different sites for CO adsorption exist on a single Pd atom. The vibrational frequency of the most stable, singly adsorbed CO molecule is 2055 cm(-)(1). Density functional cluster model calculations have been used to model possible defect sites at the MgO surface where the Pd atoms are likely to be adsorbed. CO/Pd complexes located at regular or low-coordinated O anions of the surface exhibit considerably stronger binding energies, E(b) = 2-2.5 eV, and larger vibrational shifts than were observed in the experiment. CO/Pd complexes located at oxygen vacancies (F or F(+) centers) are characterized by much smaller binding energies, E(b) = 0.5 +/- 0.2 or 0.7 +/- 0.2 eV, which are in agreement with the experimental value. CO/Pd complexes located at the paramagnetic F(+) centers show vibrational frequencies in closest agreement with the experimental data. These comparisons therefore suggest that the Pd atoms are mainly adsorbed at oxygen vacancies.     

Presence of lithium ions in MgO lattice: surface characterization by infrared spectroscopy and reactivity towards oxidative conversion of propane

The surface morphology of Li-promoted MgO catalysts prepared using the sol-gel method (sg) and wet impregnation procedure (imp), respectively, has been studied by low-temperature infrared spectroscopy of adsorbed CO molecules. The results show that step sites, as unselective catalytic centers, are the major features existing on the surface of pure MgO, and those are active toward the oxidative conversion of propane. However, the concentration of these sites is drastically reduced by the incorporation of lithium ions in the MgO lattice. In fact, the incorporated Li (+) ions tend to move into the surface region and occupy sites associated with lower coordination number (e.g., step sites). Li/MgO-sg catalysts are characterized by a higher concentration of incorporation of lithium compared to Li/MgO-imp. In the case of oxidative dehydrogenation/cracking of propane, Li/MgO-sg catalysts show higher activity and selectivity to olefins compared to materials prepared using wet impregnation. Catalytic performance differs strongly regarding (i) the amount of olefins formed, and (ii) the ratio of C(3)H(6)/C(2)H(4). It is shown that high density of active sites is essential for further oxidative dehydrogenation of propyl radicals to propylene and suppression of cracking reactions pathway.     

Au atoms and dimers on the MgO(100) surface: a DFT study of nucleation at defects

The adsorption of Au atoms at the surface of MgO and the formation of Au dimers have been studied by means of first principles DFT supercell calculations. Au atoms have been adsorbed on flat MgO terraces and monatomic steps but also at point defects such as oxygen vacancies (F centers) or divacancies. Very low barriers for diffusion of Au atoms on the MgO(100) terraces have been found. Atom diffusion is stopped only at strong binding sites such as the F and F+ centers (adsorption energy E(a) = 3-4 eV), divacancies (E(a) = 2.3 eV), or, to less extent, steps (E(a) = 1.3 eV). The combination of two Au adatoms with formation of a dimer is accompanied by an energy gain, the dimer binding energy, E(b), between 2 and 2.4 eV for all sites considered, with the exception of the paramagnetic F+ center where the gain is negligible (0.3 eV). The dimerization energy on the surface is not too different from the bond strength of Au2 in the gas phase (2.32 eV). Thus, defects sites on MgO do not have a special role in promoting or demoting Au dimerization, while they are essential to trap the diffusing Au atoms or clusters. Calculations on Au3 formed on an F center show that the cluster is fluxional.     

Paramagnetic defect centers at the MgO surface. An alternative model to oxygen vacancies

On the basis of embedded cluster calculations, we propose a new model for the structure of paramagnetic color centers at the MgO surface usually denoted as F(S)(H)(+) (an electron trapped near an adsorbed proton). These centers are produced by exposing the surface of polycrystalline MgO to H(2) followed by UV irradiation. We demonstrate that properties of H atom absorbed at surface sites such as step edges (MgO(step)) and reverse corner sites (MgO(RC)), formed at the intersection of two step edges, are compatible with a number of features observed for F(S)(H)(+). Our calculations suggest that (i) H(2) dissociates at the reverse corner site heterolytically and that there is no barrier for this exothermic reaction; (ii) the calculated vibrations of the resulting MgO(RC)(H(+))(H(-)) complex are fully consistent with the measured ones; (iii) desorption of a neutral H atom from the diamagnetic precursor requires UV light and leads to the formation of stable neutral paramagnetic centers at the surface, MgO(step)(H(+))(e(-))(trapped) and MgO(RC)(H(+))(e(-))(trapped). The computed isotropic hyperfine coupling constants and optical transitions of these centers are in broad agreement with the existing experimental data. We argue that these centers, which do not belong to the class of "oxygen vacancies", are two of the many possible forms of the F(S)(H)(+) defect center.     

Optical properties of Cu nanoclusters supported on MgO(100)

The vertical transitions of Cu atoms, dimers, and tetramers deposited on the MgO surface have been investigated by means of ab initio calculations based either on complete active space second-order perturbation theory or on time-dependent density functional theory. Three adsorption sites have been considered as representative of the complexity of the MgO surface: regular sites at flat (100) terraces, extended defects such as monoatomic steps, and point defects such as neutral oxygen vacancies (F or color centers). The optical properties of the supported Cu clusters have been compared with those of the corresponding gas-phase units. Upon deposition a substantial modification of the energy levels of the supported cluster is induced by the Pauli repulsion with the substrate. This causes shifts in the optical transitions going from free to supported clusters. The changes in cluster geometry induced by the substrate have a much smaller effect on the optical absorption bands. On F centers the presence of filled impurity levels in the band gap of MgO results in a strong mixing with the empty levels of the Cu atoms and clusters with consequent deep changes in the optical properties of the color centers. The results allow to interpret electron energy loss spectra of Cu atoms deposited on MgO thin films.     

Theoretical calculations of spin-Hamiltonian parameters for CsCdX(3):Ni(2+) (X=Cl, Br) crystals from the two-mechanism model

The high-order perturbation formulas of spin-Hamiltonian (SH) parameters (g factors g( parallel), g( perpendicular) and zero-field splitting D) for 3d(8) ions in trigonal octahedral sites of crystals are derived considering not only the crystal-field (CF) mechanism, but also the charge-transfer (CT) mechanism (which is neglected in the extensively used CF theory). From these formulas and by considering the suitable impurity-induced local lattice relaxation, the SH parameters of CsCdX(3):Ni(2+) (X=Cl, Br) crystals are calculated. The results are in reasonable agreement with the experimental values. The sign of Q(CT) (Q=Deltag( parallel), Deltag( perpendicular) or D, where the g-shift Deltag(i)=g(i)-g(e), g(e) approximately 2.0023 is the free-electron value) due to CT mechanism is the same as that of the corresponding Q(CF) due to CF mechanism. The relative importance of CT mechanism (characterized by Q(CT)/Q(CF)) increases with the increasing atomic number of ligand X. So, for 3d(n) ion clusters in crystals with heavy element ligand ion (e.g., Br(-)), the reasonable explanations of SH parameters should contain the contributions from both CF and CT mechanisms.     

Formation of Pd dimers at regular and defect sites of the MgO(1 0 0) surface: cluster model calculations

The formation of Pd dimers on the surface of MgO has been studied by means of density functional theory (DFT) cluster model calculations. The following surface sites have been considered: regular five-coordinated anions at the (1 0 0) terraces, monoatomic steps, OH groups, and neutral vacancies (F centers). We discuss the energy balance of forming a dimer at a given site with respect to two isolated Pd atoms, one adsorbed at the defect and one on a regular terrace site. We found that all the defects considered lead to an energy gain when the dimer is formed, suggesting that they can be involved in nucleation and growth processes of metal clusters on the MgO surface. The dimerization energy is moderate for steps (≈0.8 eV), large for OH groups (≈1.3 eV) and rather small (<0.5 eV) for F centers.     

Properties of alkali metal atoms deposited on a MgO surface: a systematic experimental and theoretical study

The adsorption of small amounts of alkali metal atoms (Li, Na, K, Rb, and Cs) on the surface of MgO powders and thin films has been studied by means of EPR spectroscopy and DFT calculations. From a comparison of the measured and computed g values and hyperfine coupling constants (hfccs), a tentative assignment of the preferred adsorption sites is proposed. All atoms bind preferentially to surface oxide anions, but the location of these anions differs as a function of the deposition temperature and alkali metal. Lithium forms relatively strong bonds with MgO and can be stabilized at low temperatures on terrace sites. Potassium interacts very weakly with MgO and is stabilized only at specific sites, such as at reverse corners where it can interact simultaneously with three surface oxygen atoms (rubidium and cesium presumably behave in the same way). Sodium forms bonds of intermediate strength and could, in principle, populate more than a single site when deposited at room temperature. In all cases, large deviations of the hfccs from the gas-phase values are observed. These reductions in the hfccs are due to polarization effects and are not connected to ionization of the alkali metal, which would lead to the formation of an adsorbed cation and a trapped electron. In this respect, hydrogen atoms behave completely differently. Under similar conditions, they form (H(+))(e(-)) pairs. The reasons for this different behavior are discussed.     

P123-assisted hydrothermal synthesis and characterization of rectangular parallelepiped and hexagonal prism single-crystalline mgo with three-dimensional wormholelike mesopores

By adopting the strategy of dissolution-recrystallization under hydrothermal conditions (at 240 degrees C for 72 h) in the presence of a triblock copolymer (Pluronic P123), we fabricated nano- and microparticles of single-crystalline MgO of rectangular parallelepiped and hexagonal prism morphologies. The MgO crystallites display three-dimensional wormholelike mesopores and have a surface area as high as 298 m(2)/g even after calcination at 550 degrees C for 3 h.     

Calcium adsorption on MgO(100): energetics, structure, and role of defects

The adsorption of Ca on the MgO(100) surface at 300 K has been studied using microcalorimetry, in combination with LEED, AES, ISS, work function, sticking probability measurements, and density functional theory (DFT) calculations. The MgO(100) thin films (approximately 4 nm thick) were grown epitaxially on a 1 microm thick Mo(100) single-crystal. The sticking probability of Ca on MgO(100) at 300 K is unity. On the basis of AES and ISS measurements, it was determined that Ca grows mainly as 3D particles on the MgO(100) surface with a density of approximately 1 x 10(12) islands/cm2. Ca adsorbs initially at defect sites with a very high heat of adsorption (approximately 410 kJ/mol). DFT calculations attribute this high initial heat to Ca binding to kink sites (376 kJ/mol), step sites (205 kJ/mol), and lower concentrations of stronger binding sites. The heat of adsorption decreases rapidly with coverage, reaching a minimum of 162 kJ/mol at approximately 0.3 ML, where Ca is mainly adding to small 3D Ca clusters. Afterward, it increases to the value of bulk Ca heat of sublimation (178 kJ/mol) at approximately 1.2 ML, attributed to the increase in stability with increasing Ca particle size. A 1.0 eV decrease of the work function with Ca coverage from 0 to 0.3 ML indicates that Ca adsorbed at defects is cationic, in agreement with calculations showing that Ca donates electron density to the MgO. Light ion sputtering of the MgO(100) surface generates point defects, but these do not change the heat of adsorption versus coverage, implying that they do not nucleate Ca particles. Oxygen vacancies are a likely candidate; DFT calculations show that F and F+ center vacancies bind Ca more weakly than terrace sites. More extensive sputtering creates extended defects (such as steps and kinks) that adsorb Ca with heats of adsorption up to approximately 400 kJ/mol, similar to that at the intrinsic defect sites.     

Experimental and DFT studies of gold nanoparticles supported on MgO(111) nano-sheets and their catalytic activity

A wet chemical preparation of MgO with the (111) facet as the primary surface has recently been reported and with alternating layers of oxygen anions and magnesium cations, this material shows unique chemical and physical properties. The potential to utilize the MgO(111) surface for the immobilization of metal particles is intriguing because the surface itself offers a very different environment for the metal particle with an all oxygen interface, as opposed to the typical (100) facet that possesses alternating oxygen anion and magnesium cation sites on the surface. Gold nanoparticles have demonstrated a broad range of interesting catalytic properties, but are often susceptible to aggregation at high temperatures and are very sensitive to substrate effects. Here, we investigate gold-supported on MgO(111) nanosheets as a catalyst system for the aerobic oxidation of benzyl alcohol. Gold nanoparticles deposited on MgO(111) show an increased level of activity in the solvent-free benzyl alcohol aerobic oxidation as compared to gold nanoparticles deposited on a typical MgO aerogel. TEM studies reveal that the gold nanoparticles have a hemispherical shape while sitting on the main surface of MgO(111) nanosheets, with a large Au-MgO interface. Given that the gold nanoparticles deposited on the two types of MgO have similar size, and that the two types of unmodified MgO show almost the same activities in the blank reaction, we infer that the high activity of Au/MgO(111) is due to the properties of the (111) support and/or those of the gold-support interface. To understand the binding of Au on low-index MgO surfaces and the charge distribution at the surface of the support, we have performed density functional theory (DFT) calculations on all low-index MgO substrates (with and without gold), using a model Au(10) cluster. Due to similar lattice constants of Au(111) and MgO(111) planes, the Au cluster retains its structural integrity and binds strongly on MgO(111) with either oxygen or magnesium termination. Furthermore, we have found that for the (001) and (110) substrates the charges of the ions in the top surface layer have similar values as in bulk MgO, but that on (111) surfaces these charges are significantly different. This difference in surface charge determines the direction of the electronic transfer upon adsorption of gold, such transfer occurring so as to restore the bulk MgO charge values. Using the results from theoretical calculations, we provide an explanation of our observations of increased catalytic activity in the case of the Au/MgO(111) system.     

Theoretical investigations of the EPR parameters for Cr3+ and Mn4+ ions in PbTiO3 crystals

The complete high-order perturbation formulas of EPR parameters (g factors g( parallel), g( perpendicular) and zero-field splitting D), containing the crystal-field (CF) mechanism and charge-transfer (CT) mechanism (the latter is omitted in crystal-field theory which is often used to study the EPR parameters), are established from a cluster approach for 3d3 ions in tetragonal octahedral sites. According to the calculations based on these formulas, the EPR parameters g( parallel), g( perpendicular) and zero-field splitting D for Cr3+ and Mn4+ ions in PbTiO3 crystals are explained reasonably. The calculations show that (i) the sign of g-shift Deltag(i)(CT) (=g(i)-g(s), where g(s)=2.0023 is free-electron value and i= parallel and perpendicular) in CT mechanism is opposite to, but that of D(CT) is the same as, the corresponding signs in the CF mechanism and (ii) the relative importance of CT mechanism for the high valence state 3d3 ion (e.g., Mn4+) is large and so the contributions to EPR parameters from CT mechanism should be taken into account. The different sign of splitting D and the different defect structure for Cr3+ and Mn4+ impurity centers in PbTiO3 crystals are also suggested from the calculations. The results are discussed.     

Li~+/MgO上乙烷氧化脱氧的活性中心[Li~+O~-]的研究

利用Li+／MgO催化剂上乙烷氧化脱氢制乙烯及IR、TPD等测试手段对外[Li+O-]中心的形成机理及其性质进行了研究，表明［Li+O－］中心最初生成与MgO表面的自由羟基相关，气相氧、反应温度配位数等对生成[Li＋O－]有一定程度的影响．     

DFT Study of Metal Atoms Adsorbed at Low-coordinated Sites of MgO （001） Surface

1 INTRODUCTION The interfaces between metals and oxide play a vital role in many industrial applications: hetero- geneous catalysis, microelectronics, thermal barriers, corrosion protection, metal processing and so on[1]. In catalysis, the choice of metal and oxide support is critical in order to obtain a desired reactivity and selectivity[2]. This is due in part to the inherent reac- tivity of the two components. Also the size and shape of the metal particle, which depend on the choice…     

Single d-metal atoms on F(s) and F(s+) defects of MgO(001): a theoretical study across the periodic table

Single d-metal atoms on oxygen defects F(s) and F(s+) of the MgO(001) surface were studied theoretically. We employed an accurate density functional method combined with cluster models, embedded in an elastic polarizable environment, and we applied two gradient-corrected exchange-correlation functionals. In this way, we quantified how 17 metal atoms from groups 6-11 of the periodic table (Cu, Ag, Au; Ni, Pd, Pt; Co, Rh, Ir; Fe, Ru, Os; Mn, Re; and Cr, Mo, W) interact with terrace sites of MgO. We found bonding with F(s) and F(s+) defects to be in general stronger than that with O2- sites, except for Mn-, Re-, and Fe/F(s) complexes. In M/F(s) systems, electron density is accumulated on the metal center in a notable fashion. The binding energy on both kinds of O defects increases from 3d- to 4d- to 5d-atoms of a given group, at variance with the binding energy trend established earlier for the M/O2- complexes, 4d < 3d < 5d. Regarding the evolution of the binding energy along a period, group 7 atoms are slightly destabilized compared to their group 6 congeners in both the F(s) and F(s+) complexes; for later transition elements, the binding energy increases gradually up to group 10 and finally decreases again in group 11, most strongly on the F(s) site. This trend is governed by the negative charge on the adsorbed atoms. We discuss implications for an experimental detection of metal atoms on oxide supports based on computed core-level energies.     

Electron paramagnetic resonance and scanning tunneling microscopy investigations on the formation of F(+) and F(0) Color centers on the surface of thin MgO(001) films

The formation of surface color centers (F(S) centers) by electron bombardment of thin MgO(001) films is investigated using electron paramagnetic resonance and low-temperature scanning tunneling microscopy. At low electron doses both techniques indicate the formation of singly occupied color centers (F(S)(+)), whereas at high electron doses the doubly occupied type (F(S)(0)) is dominant. It is suggested that with increasing electron dose F(S)(+) centers are transformed into F(S)(0). Tunneling spectra of individual F(S)(0) centers reveal a large distribution of energetic positions of occupied and unoccupied states, which is caused by local variations of the coordination number of the defects and explains the broad signals usually detected with integrating spectroscopic techniques.     

O2在具有氧和镁缺陷MgO(001)表面的吸附

在密度泛函理论的框架下，采用嵌入点电荷簇模型研究了O2在具有氧缺陷和镁缺陷MgO(001)表面上的吸附.用电荷自洽的方法确定了点电荷的值.计算结果表明，O2倾向吸附在具有氧缺陷的MgO(001)表面上.通过和我们近期研究过的O2在低配位的边、角上吸附结果相比较，发现具有氧缺陷的MgO(001)表面更加有利于O2的吸附和解离. Mülliken电荷分析表明，电荷由底物向吸附的O2反键轨道上转移是导致O2键强削弱的主要原因.势能曲线表明，O2在具有氧缺陷的MgO(001)表面上发生解离所需要克服的能垒比在角阳离子端发生解离所需克服的能垒有大幅度降低.     

Chemistry at corners and edges: generation and adsorption of H atoms on the surface of MgO nanocubes

We used UV light to generate site-selective O- hole centers at three-coordinated corner oxygen sites on MgO nanocubes. These highly reactive O- radicals split H2 homolytically and, in the course of this reaction, become hydroxylated and produce hydrogen atoms. The hydrogen atoms adsorb predominantly at cube edges and dissociate into surface-trapped electrons and protons. We propose that the experimentally observed (H+)(e-) centers are formed adjacent to the hydroxyl groups generated in the homolytic splitting process and can be defined as (H+)3C...(e-)(H+)NC centers where 3C and NC refer to the coordination numbers of the corresponding hydroxylated oxygen sites. Our ab initio embedded cluster calculations reveal that the electronic properties of (H+)3C...(e-)(H+)4C centers situated along MgO nanocube edges are consistent with both the electron-paramagnetic-resonance signal parameters and the reported optical-absorption properties. The transformation of corner O- centers into the (H+)3C...(e-)(H+)NC-type centers prevents their recombination with electronic surface centers and, hence, significantly alters the electronic structure of MgO nanocubes by introducing shallow electron traps.