Critical size and surface effect of the hydrogen interaction of palladium clusters

Metal hydrides are used for electrochemical or gaseous storage of hydrogen because considerable amounts of hydrogen are reversibly absorbed and desorbed at interstitial sites. Palladium is often used as a model system. Nanophase material is of interest because properties related to the hydrogen absorption are size dependent. In this study, clusters from the size of 55 to 1415 atoms are investigated and compared with bulk Pd. It turns out that not only the amount of hydrogen per palladium that can be intercalated changes but also kinetics and chemical potentials are dependent on the cluster size. The clusters used for this study were chemically synthesised and stabilised by a ligand shell. Received 9 October 1998 and Received in final form 10 May 1999     

Scaling of the conductivity spectra in ionic glasses: dependence on the structure

A scaling approach in the conductivity formalism is applied to lithium tellurite glasses of different compositions. We observe that the hopping frequency can be used as the scaling frequency in the absence of well-defined dielectric loss peaks, and a universality of the scaling of the conductivity can be obtained for compositions with a similar structure. Further, the reasons behind the inapplicability of the scaling approach reported recently are elucidated in terms of structure of the glasses.     

Adsorption of carbon monoxide on silver/palladium alloys

The adsorption of carbon monoxide on epitaxial (100) and (111) planes of Ag/Pd alloys with definite surface compositions has been studied by means of LEED, Auger electron spectroscopy and work function measurements. The formation of ordered adsorbed structures is prevented by even small amounts of silver in the surfaces. The maximum variation of the work function with CO adsorption bears no simple relationship to the surface composition. From measured adsorption isotherms the isosteric heats of adsorption have been evaluated. For CO adsorption on pure Pd planes the adsorption energies E_ad are either constant or decrease slowly up to high coverages, whereas a continuous decrease was observed with the alloys indicating the energetical heterogeneity. The results are discussed on the basis of our knowledge about the nature of the CO chemisorption and about the electronic structure of Ag/Pd alloys.     

Hydrogen adsorption on palladium and palladium hydride at 1 bar

The dissociative sticking probability for H₂ on Pd films supported on sputtered Highly Ordered Pyrolytic Graphite (HOPG) has been derived from measurements of the rate of the H–D exchange reaction at 1 bar. The sticking probability for H₂, S, is higher on Pd hydride than on Pd (a factor of 1.4 at 140 °C), but the apparent desorption energy derived from S is the same on Pd and Pd hydride within the uncertainty of the experiment. Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations for the (1 1 1) surfaces of Pd and Pd hydride show that, at a surface H coverage of a full mono layer, H binds less strongly to Pd hydride than to Pd. The activation barrier for desorption at a H coverage of one mono layer is slightly lower on Pd hydride, whereas the activation energy for adsorption is similar on Pd and Pd hydride. It is concluded that the higher sticking probability on Pd hydride is most likely caused by a slightly lower equilibrium coverage of H, which is a consequence of the lower heat of adsorption for H on Pd hydride.     

Ab initio study of palladium and silicon carbide

Ab initio methods have been used to investigate the properties of Pd as impurity in bulk SiC at five charged states within the framework of density functional theory using the local spin density approximation. It was found that Pd interstitials and substitutionals have similar energy to their intrinsic counterparts. In addition, Pd substitutes for a vacancy, di-vacancy, and tri-vacancy with similar energies. Pd diffuses through SiC via an interstitial mechanism employing the tetrahedral sites and Pd can substitute for Si and C at positive charged states. Removing electrons (p-type doping) from SiC lowers the formation and migration energies of Pd defects in SiC for most configurations.     

Strain relief and Pd island shape evolution on the palladium and palladium hydride (100) surface

The mesoscopic relaxation of small Pd islands on Pd(100) and PdH(100) surfaces is investigated on the atomic scale by performing molecular statics calculations. A strong strain and stress inhomogeneity in islands and topmost layers of the substrate is revealed. An unusual size dependence of the shape of islands is discovered.     

Glass formation and Raman spectra of CaO–SiO2 glasses towards the orthosilicate limit

A series of silicate glasses formed in the binary system (1-X)CaO-XSiO₂with silica mole fractions X ranging from 0.61to 0.38have been prepared using container-less aerodynamic levitation techniques and CO₂-laser heating. Glasses with X<0.45were prepared for the first time but, no glass formation was possible at compositions X<0.38. Ambient temperature polarized and depolarized Raman spectra were measured for all these glasses. Qⁱ-speciation analysis of the isotropic Raman spectra shows that near X∼0.38the predominant structures present are the SiO₄⁴⁻ tetrahedra and the single bridged Q¹species. Oxygen bridging was present at all compositions studied while at X<0.45 small amounts of free oxygen anions was present. The data are compared with the resent NMR measurements obtained with the same glass samples used in the present study. Stokes and anti-Stokes Raman spectra were measured in low frequencies revealing the Boson peak (BP) at ∼50 and ∼70 cm⁻¹ for the corresponding polarized and depolarized configurations. On the Stokes side the BP frequencies exhibit a fictional shift due to contributions from the low frequency vibrational modes of the glass.     

Electron energy loss spectroscopic investigation of palladium metal and palladium(II) oxide

Electron energy loss spectra (ELS) obtained from polycrystalline Pd metal and PdO powder using primary electron energies ranging from 100 to 1150 eV have been obtained and examined in an attempt to gain a better understanding of the origins of the loss features and to assess the utility of ELS in investigations of Pd catalysts. The two sets of ELS spectra differ significantly. The ELS spectra from Pd metal exhibit a predominant peak at 6.5 eV, shown to arise from a surface plasmon excitation, and two broad features at 25.1 and 31.9 eV, which originate from bulk loss processes. The broad features consist of several overlapping losses due mainly to interband transitions from the d-band, though a bulk plasmon excitation is believed to produce a feature near 24 eV. Two distinct peaks are present at 3.7 and 7.6 eV in the ELS spectra obtained from PdO, while a broad region of intensity appears over the range from 20 to 40 eV. The peak at 3.7 eV is attributed to a transition between the top of the valence band and the bottom of the conduction band. The feature at 7.6 eV is broad and arises from several overlapping features that are most likely caused by interband transitions rather than collective excitations. Furthermore, the ELS spectra obtained from PdO and oxidized Pd are also quite different indicating that ELS can provide useful information for determining the bonding states of oxygen on Pd-containing catalysts.     

Ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy of Pd-Si glasses

In order to determine systematic changes in the density of states with alloy composition, photoelectron spectra at hv=21.2 eV were measured for several amorphous alloys based on the well-known Pd-Si glass system. Three binary alloys with 15, 20, and 25 at. % Si, two ternaries, Pd₈₀ Si₁₇ Cu₃ and Pd₈₀ Si₁₄ Cu₆, and polycrystalline Pd were analyzed. Compared to Pd, both the density of states at the Fermi energy and the d-band width are reduced in the glasses. The d-bands display an overall shift of 0.4 eV over the range of alloy compositions studied. Partial agreement with recent density of states calculations was obtained.     

Correlation between band structure and hydride formation in dilute palladium alloys

Data on the free energy change ΔG, following solution of hydrogen in dilute Pd-alloys Pd_1?xM_x have been reviewed for different concentrations of M (M = Au, Ag, Pt, Ir, Rh, V, Cu, Ni, Pb, Sn and Ti) in both the α and β phases. The dependence of ΔG values upon the nature of the substituents (transition metals) is consistently explained within the framework of a metal-hydrogen bonding mechanism in the hydrides. For the β-hydride the ΔG values can be calculated on the basis of the equation ΔG = ΔG_pd + a(T)(〈?^M_LB〉 ? 〈?^Pd_LB〉)x, where $\text{ΔG}{}_{\mathrm{<mtext>Pd</mtext>}}\text{= ? 0.0489}\text{eV}\text{H}$ atom and is the free energy change of solution of hydrogen in pure Pd, a(T) = 0.194 at T = 298 K, 〈?^m_LB〉 and 〈?^pd_LB〉 are the average energies of the lowest band of the pure constituents ($\text{〈?}{}^{\mathrm{<mtext>Pd</mtext>}}{}_{\mathrm{<mtext>LB</mtext>}}\text{〉 = ?9.15}\text{eV}\text{atom}$). The stability of the palladium-hydrogen bond in dilute Pd-alloys depends on the value of 〈?^M_LB〉; for substituents having lower 〈?^M_LB〉 values than Pd the bond will strengthen, while for those having higher 〈?^M_LB〉 values it will weaken. This behaviour agrees well with the general trend of the stability of the stoichiometric hydrides predicted by Gelatt, Ehrenreich and Weiss using band structure results.     

The water-forming reaction on palladium

The water-forming reaction on Pd has been studied on a PdSiO₂Si (Pd-MOS) structure in the temperature range 323–473 K. The reaction is found to be of the Langmuir-Hinshelwood type with the formation of OH beeing rate limiting. Since the Pd-MOS structure works as a sensitive hydrogen detector unique information on the behaviour of hydrogen during this catalytic reaction has been obtained. The reaction can be described in a model where the hydrogen atoms on the Pd surface have a large temperature activated lateral mobility and with no evidence of beeing in hot precursor states. At T = 473 K this means that for oxygen coverages ? 0.01 monolayers all hydrogen adsorbed will also react with oxygen. For smaller oxygen coverages unreacted hydrogen will not initially desorb towards the vacuum but towards the internal Pd surface of the Pd-MOS structure. Futhermore, hydrogen adsorption is blocked by adsorbed oxygen. The sticking coefficient for hydrogen on the bare Pd surface is, however, close to one and only weakly temperature dependent. An effect giving rise to a hysteresis in the work function versus oxygen coverage curve during oxygen adsorption - desorption is also discussed.     

Structure and magnetism of neutral and anionic palladium clusters

The properties of neutral and anionic Pd(N) clusters were investigated with spin-density-functional calculations. The ground-state structures are three dimensional for N>3 and they are magnetic with a spin triplet for 2 < or = N < or = 7 and a spin nonet for N = 13 neutral clusters. Structural and spin isomers were determined and an anomalous increase of the magnetic moment with temperature is predicted for a Pd7 ensemble. Vertical electron detachment and ionization energies were calculated and the former agrees well with measured values for Pd(-)(N).     

Violation of the minimum h-h separation "Rule" for metal hydrides

Using gradient-corrected, full-potential, density-functional calculations, including structural relaxations, it is found that the metal hydrides RTInH1.333 (R=La, Ce, Pr, or Nd; T= Ni, Pd, or Pt) possess unusually short H-H separations. The most extreme value (1.454 A) ever obtained for metal hydrides occurs for LaPtInH1.333. This finding violates the empirical rule for metal hydrides, which states that the minimum H-H separation is 2 A. The paired, localized, and bosonic nature of the electron distribution at the H site are polarized towards La and In which reduces the repulsive interaction between negatively charged H atoms. Also, R-R interactions contribute to shielding of the repulsive interactions between the H atoms.     

Adsorption of hydrogen on palladium single crystal surfaces

The adsorption of hydrogen on clean Pd(110) and Pd(111) surfaces as well as on a Pd(111) surface with regular step arrays was studied by means of LEED, thermal desorption spectroscopy and contact potential measurements. Absorption in the bulk plays an important role but could be separated from the surface processes. With Pd(110) an ordered 1 × 2 structure and with Pd(111) a 1 × 1 structure was formed. Maximum work function increases of 0.36, 0.18 and 0.23 eV were determined with Pd(110), Pd(111) and the stepped surface, respectively, this quantity being influenced only by adsorbed hydrogen under the chosen conditions. The adsorption isotherms derived from contact potential data revealed that at low coverages θ ∞ √p_H2, indicating atomic adsorption. Initial heats of H₂ adsorption of 24.4 kcal/mole for Pd(110) and of 20.8 kcal/mole for Pd(111) were derived, in both cases E_ad being constant up to at least half the saturation coverage. With the stepped surface the adsorption energies coincide with those for Pd(111) at medium coverages, but increase with decreasing coverage by about 3 kcal/mole. D₂ is adsorbed on Pd(110) with an initial adsorption energy of 22.8 kcal/mole.     

Li_2O-(LiCl)_2-B_2O_3-Al_2O_3系玻璃的红外光谱

本工作系统地测量和分析了Li_O-(LiCl)_2-B_2O_3-Al_2O_3系玻璃的红外光谱,据此研究了玻璃中硼的配位数和硼酸盐结构基团随组成的变化以及Al~(3+)和Cl~-离子在结构中所起的作用,并对光谱中某些吸收峰机理作了定性探讨。     

Infrared spectra of double-alkali silicate glasses

Infrared reflection spectra have been taken of bisilicate glasses in which one alkali oxide (Na₂O, K₂O) is gradually replaced by another while their total content is kept constant, and the electrical conductivity and density, of these glasses have been determined. The spectra of single-alkali glasses containing 16–20% of alkali and whose structure, according to some authors, is similar to that of bisilicate glasses, are also included. The main characteristic features of the spectra of double-alkali glasses do not confirm this assumption, but indicate that their structure approximates that of single-alkali glasses; nevertheless, the parts composing the microheterogeneous structure have an altered composition as compared with that of single-alkali glasses. Electrical conductivity passes through a minimum for all three combinations of the alkali oxides, while density passes through a weak maximum in the case of sodium-potassium glasses only.     

Magnetism-induced ballistic conductance changes in palladium nanocontacts

We present first-principles calculations of the effects of magnetism on the ballistic conductance of a model Pd nanocontact, made of a short Pd monatomic stretched chain placed between two Pd leads, simulated by semi-infinite (100) slabs. The stretching makes the suspended Pd chain generally ferromagnetic. The spin-resolved ballistic conductance, calculated according to the Landauer-Büttiker formula is found to be 0.85G₀ for the spin-up and 1.15G₀ for the spin-down electrons (G₀ = 2e²/h is the conductance quantum). The total conductance ~2G₀ is lower, but still relatively close to that of the nonmagnetic Pd nanocontact with the same geometry, calculated to be 2.3G₀. To illustrate how magnetism and conductance depend on structural details, we change the three atom chain docking from the top to a hollow surface site, where at the same stress the Pd contact is nonmagnetic and the conductance decreases to 1.8G₀. Overall we find these calculated ballistic conductance values of very similar magnitude to the first histogram peak in the experimental data obtained for Pd at low temperature in mechanically controllable break junctions. We conclude that the 15% conductance changes caused by the onset or the demise of local magnetism, similar in magnitude to geometry-related conductance changes, are probably too small to be used as a diagnostic for the presence or absence of nanocontact magnetism.     

AES studies of palladium films formed on copper and mica

Thin epitaxial films of palladium were grown on epitaxial copper films and cleaved mica in ultra high vacuum. The growth modes of these films were investigated by Auger electron spectroscopy (AES), low energy electron diffraction (LEED), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and TEM replica techniques. Layer by layer growth of Pd on Cu and mica was observed and inelastic mean free paths of Auger electrons for energies of 60 eV (Cu MMM) and 329 eV (Pd MNN) were calculated. These values were 5.7 and 6.9 Å respectively. The thermal stability of monocrystalline and polycrystalline Pd/Cu bilayer films at 483 K was also investigated by AES and TEM. It was found that Pd agglomerates on the Cu at this temperature to form a Stranski-Krastanov growth morphology. The agglomeration is much more rapid on polycrystalline films, suggesting that high surface diffusivity paths (grain boundaries and possibly other defects) enhance the surface diffusion of Pd on Cu.     

Synthesis of vanadium-doped palladium nanoparticles for hydrogen storage materials

Palladium–vanadium (Pd/V) alloy nanoparticles stabilized with n-pentyl isocyanide were prepared as new hydrogen storage materials by a facile polyol-based synthetic route with tetraethylene glycol and NaOH at 250 °C. The size distribution of the nanoparticles thus obtained featured two peaks at 4.0 ± 1.1 and 1.4 ± 0.3 nm in diameter, which were the mixture of Pd/V alloy and Pd nanoparticles. The ratio between the number of Pd/V and that of Pd nanoparticles was 51:49, and the Pd:V ratio of the overall product was 9:1 in wt%, indicating that the 4.0 nm Pd/V nanoparticles were composed of 81% Pd and 19% V. The inclusion of vanadium caused the increase in the d-spacing and thus expansion of lattice constant. A rapid increase in hydrogen content at low H₂ pressures was observed for the Pd/V nanoparticles, and a 0.47 wt% H₂ adsorption capacity was achieved under a H₂ pressure of 10 MPa at 303 K. Hydrogen storage performances of Pd/V alloy nanoparticles was superior compared with Pd nanoparticles.     

Magnetism in atomic-size palladium contacts and nanowires

We have investigated Pd nanowires theoretically, and found that, unlike either metallic or free atomic Pd, they exhibit Hund's rule magnetism. In long, monostrand nanowires, we find a spin moment of 0.7 mu(B) per atom, whereas for short, monostrand nanowires between bulk leads, the predicted moment is about 0.3 mu(B) per nanowire atom. In contrast, a coaxial (6,1) nanowire was found to be nonmagnetic. The origin of the nanowire magnetism is analyzed.