H2S‐Mediated Thermal and Photochemical Methane Activation

Sustainable, low‐temperature methods for natural gas activation are critical in addressing current and foreseeable energy and hydrocarbon feedstock needs. Large portions of natural gas resources are still too expensive to process due to their high content of hydrogen sulfide gas (H₂S) mixed with methane, deemed altogether as sub‐quality or “sour” gas. We propose a unique method of activation to form a mixture of sulfur‐containing hydrocarbon intermediates, CH₃SH and CH₃SCH₃, and an energy carrier such as H₂. For this purpose, we investigated the H₂S‐mediated methane activation to form a reactive CH₃SH species by means of direct photolysis of sub‐quality natural gas. Photoexcitation of hydrogen sulfide in the CH₄+H₂S complex resulted in a barrierless relaxation by a conical intersection to form a ground‐state CH₃SH+H₂ complex. The resulting CH₃SH could further be coupled over acidic catalysts to form higher hydrocarbons, and the resulting H₂ used as a fuel. This process is very different from conventional thermal or radical‐based processes and can be driven photolytically at low temperatures, with enhanced control over the conditions currently used in industrial oxidative natural gas activation. Finally, the proposed process is CO₂ neutral, as opposed to the current industrial steam methane reforming (SMR).     

Density functional theory study of the oxidative dehydrogenation of propane on the (001) surface of V2O5

The density functional theory using a plane‐waves basis set and pseudopotential has been used to study the reaction pathways for ODH of propane on the V₂O₅(001) surface. The calculations indicated that propane adsoprtion step was initiated by the insertion of vanadyl oxygen O (1) into methylene C? H bond forming an iso‐propanol structure. This step is the rate‐determining step with an activation energy of 23.3 kcal/mol. The subsequent step involved the abstraction of the second hydrogen by O (1) site leading the formation of propene. This process had an activation energy of 22.5 kcal/mol. The elimination of surface bound water molecule at the O (1) was a barrierless process. The energy required for this process was compensated from O2 dissociative adsorption. Finally, the electronic density of state has been applied to prove the reality of the calculated results. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem, 2010     

Dehydrogenative Homocoupling of Alkyl Chains on Cu(110)

Through the interplay of high‐resolution scanning tunneling microscopy imaging and density functional theory calculations, the stepwise dehydrogenative homocoupling of alkyl chains on Cu(110) is demonstrated, proceeding from the intact chain, via the dehydrogenative intermediates, to the formation of the divers final coupling products.     

Activation of Methane and Ethane as Mediated by the Triatomic Anion HNbN−: Electronic Structure Similarity with a Pt Atom

Investigations of the intrinsic properties of gas‐phase transition metal nitride (TMN) ions represent one approach to gain a fundamental understanding of the active sites of TMN catalysts, the activities and electronic structures of which are known to be comparable to those of noble metal catalysts. Herein, we investigate the structures and reactivities of the triatomic anions HNbN^? by means of mass spectrometry and photoelectron imaging spectroscopy, in conjunction with density functional theory calculations. The HNbN^? anions are capable of activating CH₄ and C₂H₆ through oxidative addition, exhibiting similar reactivities to free Pt atoms. The similar electronic structures of HNbN^? and Pt, especially the active orbitals, are responsible for this resemblance. Compared to the inert NbN^?, the coordination of the H atom in HNbN^? is indispensable. New insights into how to replace noble metals with TMNs may be derived from this combined experimental/computational study.     

Mo/MCM-22分子筛碳化钼活性中心结构及甲烷活化机理的密度泛函理论研究

 应用密度泛函理论研究了Mo/MCM-22分子筛上碳化钼活性中心的几何结构和电子结构,以及甲烷在该活性中心上的活化机理. 设计了两种结构的活性中心模型: Mo(CH2)2(模型A)和Mo(CH)CH2(模型B); 它们都嫁接在MCM-22分子筛超笼边缘的T4位的Brnsted-酸性位上,用3T簇模型代替分子筛的骨架,对所设计的模型进行了几何结构优化和电子结构分析. 结构优化结果显示, Mo与CH2端基以双键结合,键长为0.18～0.19 nm, 而Mo与CH端基以叁键结合,键长为0.17 nm. 通过自然键轨道分析,证明中心钼原子以配位键与骨架氧原子结合. 根据前线分子轨道的分析,预测了甲烷活化反应将发生在甲烷分子的HOMO和钼活性中心的LUMO之间,即 C-H 键的电子流向 Mo-C 键的π*轨道. 甲烷 C-H 键发生异裂, H+和H3C-基团分别与 Mo-C 键上的Mo和C成键. 在模型A上,甲烷活化反应的活化能为119.97 kJ/mol; 在模型B上,甲烷的H原子可以分别结合到CH2端基和CH端基上,对应的活化能分别为91.37和79.07 kJ/mol.     

Mo/ZSM-5 分子筛碳化钼活性中心结构及甲烷活化机理的密度泛函理论研究

 应用密度泛函理论 (DFT) 研究了 Mo/HZSM-5 分子筛上碳化钼活性中心的几何结构和电子结构, 以及甲烷 C–H 键在该活性中心上的活化机理. 设计了两种碳化钼单体模型 Mo(CH2)2/ZSM-5 和 Mo(CH2)2CH3/ZSM-5, 两种碳化钼双体模型 Mo2(CH2)4/ZSM-5 和 Mo2(CH2)5/ZSM-5. 其中单钼模型构建在 ZSM-5 分子筛孔道交叉点 T6 位的 Brönsted 酸位上, 双钼模型构建在 T6---T6 相邻双酸位上. 这些模型中都有 Mo=CH2 键, 结构优化后得到的 Mo–C 键长与实验值吻合. 所有模型的前线分子轨道都在 Mo=CH2 的 π 键上. 甲烷活化过程是发生 C–H 键异裂, H+和 H3C–残基分别进攻 Mo=CH2 键的 C 和 Mo, 使 π 键同时断裂. 在以上 4 种碳化钼模型上, 甲烷 C–H 键活化能都在 106~196 kJ/mol, 且 Mo2(CH2)5/ZSM-5 在甲烷活化过程中显示出最高的催化活性.     

表面氧浓度对负载型金属催化剂活化甲烷反应性能的影响

 利用脉冲－质谱在线分析技术考察了无气相氧条件下负载型金属催化剂上脉冲CH4的反应结果表明，对于Rh／SiO2催化剂，不管是氧化态还是还原态，除第1次脉冲生成较多的CO2外，从第2次脉冲开始，只有CO生成；对于Ru／SiO2催化剂，无论是氧化态还是还原态，每次脉冲均有一定量的CO2生成．这可能是由于Rh和Ru两种金属对氧的亲合力不同所致．甲烷在负载型催化剂表面的活化以及产物的选择性主要受催化剂表面活性氧物种覆盖度的影响．     

Density Functional Theory and MP2 Calculations of the Transition States and Reaction Paths on Coupling Reaction of Methane through Plasma

The two possible reaction paths of producing ethane on coupling reaction of methane through plasma were theoretically investigated by B3LYP and MP2 methods with 6-311G^* respectively and further compared with the previous results calculated from B3LYP/6-31G^*. The new investigated results consistently confirmed the previous conclusion. And the influences of the calculation methods and basis sets on the calculated results were also discussed.     

Heteronuclear Trimetallic MFe2 and M2Fe (M=V,Nb, and Ta) Clusters for Dinitrogen Activation

Catalysts with heteronuclear metal active sites may have high performance in the nitrogen reduction reaction (NRR), and the in-depth understanding of the reaction mechanisms is crucial for the design of related catalysts. In this work, the dissociative adsorption of N₂ on heteronuclear trimetallic MFe₂ and M₂Fe (M=V, Nb, and Ta) clusters was studied with density functional theory calculations. For each cluster, two reaction paths were studied with N₂ initially on M and Fe atoms, respectively. Mayer bond order analysis provides more information on the activation of N−N bonds. M₂Fe is generally more reactive than MFe₂. The coordination mode of N₂ on three metal atoms can be end-on: end-on: side-on (EES) for both MFe₂ and M₂Fe. In addition, a unique end-on: side-on: side-on (ESS) coordination mode was found for M₂Fe, which leads to a higher degree of N−N bond activation. Nb₂Fe has the highest reactivity towards N₂ when both the transfer of N₂ and the dissociation of N−N bonds are taken into account, while Ta-containing clusters have a superior ability to activate the N−N bond. These results indicate that it is possible to improve the performance of iron-based catalysts by doping with vanadium group metals.     

Hydrogen Release from Dialkylamine–Boranes Promoted by Mg and Ca Complexes: A DFT Analysis of the Reaction Mechanism

Mg and Ca β‐diketiminato silylamides [HC{(Me)CN(2,6‐iPr₂C₆H₃)}₂M(THF)_n{N(SiMe₃)₂}] (M=Mg, n=0; M=Ca, n=1) were studied as precatalysts for the dehydrogenation/dehydrocoupling of secondary amine–boranes R₂HNBH₃. By reaction with equimolar quantities of amine–boranes, the corresponding amidoborane derivatives are formed, which further react to yield dehydrogenation products such as the cyclic dimer [BH₂?NMe₂]₂. DFT was used here to explore the mechanistic alternatives proposed on the basis of the experimental findings for both Mg and Ca amidoboranes. The influence of the steric demand of amine–boranes on the course of the reaction was examined by performing calculations on the dehydrogenation of dimethylamine–borane (DMAB), pyrrolidine–borane (PB), and diisopropylamine–borane. In spite of the analogies in the catalytic activity of Mg‐ and Ca‐based complexes in the dehydrocoupling of amine–boranes, our theoretical analysis confirmed the experimentally observed lower reactivity of Ca complexes. Differences in catalytic activity of Mg‐ and Ca‐based complexes were examined and rationalized. As a consequence of the increase in ionic radius on going from Mg²⁺ to Ca²⁺, the dehydrogenation mechanism changes and formation of a key metal hydride intermediate becomes inaccessible. Dimerization is likely to occur off‐metal in solution for DMAB and PB, whereas steric hindrance of iPr₂NHBH₃ hampers formation of the cyclic dimer. The reported results are of particular interest because, although amine–borane dehydrogenation is now well established, mechanistic insight is still lacking for many systems.     

Methane Chemisorption on Oxide-Supported Pt Single Atom

Methane chemisorption has been recently demonstrated on the rutile IrO₂(110) surface. However, it remains unclear how the general requirements are for methane chemisorption or complexation with a single atom on an oxide surface. By exploring methane adsorption on Pt₁ substitutionally doped on many rutile-type oxides using hybrid density functional theory, we show that the occupancy of the Pt d_z² orbital is the key to methane chemisorption. Pt single atom on the semiconducting or wide-gap oxides such as TiO₂ and GeO₂ strongly chemisorbs methane, because the empty Pt d_z² orbital is located in the gap and can effectively accept σ-electron donation from the methane C−H bond. In contrast, Pt single atom on metallic oxides such as IrO₂ and RuO₂ does not chemisorb methane, because the Pt d_z² orbital strongly mixes with the support-oxide electronic states and become more occupied, losing its ability to chemisorb methane. This study sheds further light on the impact of the interaction between a Pt single atom and the oxide support on methane adsorption.     

Adsorption Study of Methane on Activated Meso-carbon Microbeads by Density Functional Theory

A combined method of density functional theory (DFT) and statistics integral equation (SIE) for the determination of the pore size distribution (PSD) is developed based on the experimental adsorption data of nitrogen on activated mesocarbon microbead (AMCMB) at 77K. The pores of AMCMB are described as slit-shaped with PSD.Based on the PSD, methane adsorption and phase behavior are studied by the DFT method. Both nitrogen and methane molecules are modeled as Lennard-Jones spherical molecules, and the well-known Steele‘s 10-4-3 potential is used to represent the interaction between the fluid molecule and the solid wall. In order to test the combined method and the PSD model, the Intelligent Gravimetric Analyzer (IGA-003) was used to measure the adsorption of methane on the AMCMB. The DFT results are in good agreement with the experimental data. Based on these facts,we predict the adsorption amount of methane, which can reach 32.3ω at 299K and 4 MPa. The results indicate that the AMCMBs are a good candidate for adsorptive storage of methane and natural gas. In addition, the capillary condensation and hysteresis phenomenon of methane are also observed at 74.05K.     

气相中Cu＋和Zn＋与SCO反应的理论研究

为更清晰地揭示M^＋与SCO基元反应的机理, 采用密度泛函B3LYP方法, 在6-311＋＋G**基组水平上研究了Cu^＋＋SCO和Zn^＋＋SCO反应体系. 对反应势能面上各驻点的几何构型进行了全优化, 用频率分析方法和内禀反应坐标(IRC)方法对过渡态进行了验证. 在Cu^＋与SCO的反应中, 对影响反应机理和反应速率的势能面交叉现象进行了讨论, 运用Hammond假设和Yoshizawa等的内禀反应坐标垂直激发的计算方法找到了势能面交叉点. 计算结果表明, C—S和C—O键的活化都是通过插入消去机理, 但C—S键的活化在能量上更占优势. 计算确认了标题反应的主通道, 所有的计算结果与实验吻合.     

A Theoretical Study on the Mechanism of Photocatalytic Oxygen Evolution on BiVO4 in Aqueous Solution

The oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is regarded as one of the key issues in achieving efficient photocatalytic water splitting. Monoclinic scheelite BiVO₄ is a visible‐light‐responsive semiconductor which has proved to be effective for oxygen evolution. Recently, the synthesis of a series of monoclinic BiVO₄ single crystals was reported, and it was found that the (010), (110), and (011) facets are highly exposed and that the photocatalytic O₂ evolution activity depends on the degree of exposure of the (010) facets. To explore the properties of and photocatalytic water oxidation reaction on different facets, DFT calculations were performed to investigate the geometric structure, optical properties, electronic structure, water adsorption, and the whole OER free‐energy profiles on BiVO₄ (010) and (011) facets. The calculated results suggest both favorable and unfavorable factors for OER on the (010) and the (011) facets. Due to the combined effects of the above‐mentioned factors, different facets exhibit quite different photocatalytic activities.     

甲烷在清洁Pd(111)及氧改性的Pd(111)表面解离的密度泛函理论研究

 采用广义梯度近似 (GGA) 的密度泛函理论 (DFT) 并结合平板模型, 研究了 CH4 在清洁 Pd(111) 及 O 改性的 Pd(111) 表面发生 C朒 键断裂的反应历程. 优化了裂解过程中反应物、过渡态和产物的几何构型, 获得了反应路径上各物种的吸附能及反应的活化能. 结果表明, CH4 采用一个 H 原子指向表面的构型在 Pd(111) 表面的顶位吸附, CH3 的最稳定的吸附位置为顶位, OH, O 和 H 的最稳定吸附位置均为面心立方. CH4 在清洁 Pd(111) 表面裂解的活化能为 0.97 eV, 低于它在 O 原子改性 (O 没有参与反应) 的 Pd(111) 表面的活化能 1.42 eV, 说明表面氧原子抑制了 CH4 中 C朒 键的断裂. 当亚表面 O 原子和表面 O 原子 (O 参与反应) 共同存在时, C朒 键断裂的活化能为 0.72 eV, 低于只有表层氧存在时的活化能 (1.43 eV), 说明亚表面的 O 原子对 CH4 分子的活化具有促进作用. CH4 在 O 原子改性的 Pd(111) 表面裂解生成 CH3 和 H, 以及生成 CH3 和 OH 的反应活化能分别为 1.42 和 1.43 eV, 说明 CH4 在 O 原子改性的 Pd(111) 表面发生这两种反应的难易程度相当.     

Theoretical Study on the Dehydrogenation Reaction of H2S by VS+ (3∑-)

The dehydrogenation reaction of H2S by the 3∑- ground state of VS+: VS+ + H2S → VS2+ + H2 has been studied by using Density Functional Theory (DFT) at the B3LYP/DZVP level. It is found that the reaction proceeds along two possible pathways (A and B) yielding two isomer dehydrogenation products VS2+-1 (3B2) and VS2+-2 (3A1), respectively. For both pathways,the reaction has a two-step-reaction mechanism that involves the migration of two hydrogen atoms from S2 to V+, respectively. The migration of the second hydrogen via TS3 and that of the first via TS4 are the rate-determining steps for pathways A and B, respectively. The activation energy is 17.4 kcal/mol for pathway A and 22.8 kcal/mol for pathway B relative to the reactants. The calculated reaction heat of 9.9 kcal/mol indicates the endothermicity of pathway A and that of -11.9 kcal/mol suggests the exothermicity of pathway B.     

Methane Activation by Platinum: Critical Role of Edge and Corner Sites of Metal Nanoparticles

Complete dehydrogenation of methane is studied on model Pt catalysts by means of state‐of‐the‐art DFT methods and by a combination of supersonic molecular beams with high‐resolution photoelectron spectroscopy. The DFT results predict that intermediate species like CH₃ and CH₂ are specially stabilized at sites located at particles edges and corners by an amount of 50–80 kJ mol^?1. This stabilization is caused by an enhanced activity of low‐coordinated sites accompanied by their special flexibility to accommodate adsorbates. The kinetics of the complete dehydrogenation of methane is substantially modified according to the reaction energy profiles when switching from Pt(111) extended surfaces to Pt nanoparticles. The CH₃ and CH₂ formation steps are endothermic on Pt(111) but markedly exothermic on Pt₇₉. An important decrease of the reaction barriers is observed in the latter case with values of approximately 60 kJ mol^?1 for first C? H bond scission and 40 kJ mol^?1 for methyl decomposition. DFT predictions are experimentally confirmed by methane decomposition on Pt nanoparticles supported on an ordered CeO₂ film on Cu(111). It is shown that CH₃ generated on the Pt nanoparticles undergoes spontaneous dehydrogenation at 100 K. This is in sharp contrast to previous results on Pt single‐crystal surfaces in which CH₃ was stable up to much higher temperatures. This result underlines the critical role of particle edge sites in methane activation and dehydrogenation.