Geometric stability of PtFe/PdFe embedded in graphene and catalytic activity for CO oxidation

The direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) is considered as a promising power source, because of its abundant fuel source, high energy density and environmental friendliness. Among DMFC anode materials, Pt and Pt group metals are considered to be the best electrocatalysts. The combination of Pt with some specific transition metal can reduce the cost and improve the tolerance toward CO poisoning of pure Pt catalysts. In this paper, the geometric stabilities of PtFe/PdFe atoms anchored in graphene sheet and catalytic CO oxidation properties were investigated using the density functional theory method. The results show that the Pt (Pd) and Fe atoms can replace C atoms in graphene sheet. The CO oxidation reaction by molecular O₂ on PtFe–graphene and PdFe–graphene was studied. The results show that the Eley–Rideal (ER) mechanism is expected over the Langmuir–Hinshelwood mechanism for CO oxidation on both PtFe–graphene and PdFe–graphene. Further, complete CO oxidation on PtFe–graphene and PdFe–graphene proceeds via a two‐step ER reaction: CO(gas) + O₂(ads) → CO₂(ads) + O(ads) and CO(gas) + O(ads) → CO₂(ads). Our results reveal that PtFe/PdFe commonly embedded in graphene can be used as a catalyst for CO oxidation. The microscopic mechanism of the CO oxidation reaction on the atomic catalysts was explored.     

Formation Mechanism,Geometric Stability and Catalytic Activity of a Single Iron Atom Supported on N-Doped Graphene

Based on density functional theory (DFT) calculations, the formation geometries, stability and catalytic properties of single-atom iron anchored on xN-doped graphene (xN-graphene-Fe, x=1, 2, 3) sheet are systemically investigated. It is found that the different kinds and numbers of gas reactants can effectively regulate the electronic structure and magnetic properties of the 3 N-graphene-Fe system. For NO and CO oxidation reactions, the coadsorption configurations of NO/O₂ and CO/O₂ molecules on a reactive substrate as the initial state are comparably analyzed. The NO oxidation reactions through the Langmuir–Hinshelwood (LH) and Eley-Rideal (ER) mechanisms have relatively smaller energy barriers than those of the CO oxidation processes. In comparison, the preadsorbed 2NO reacting with 2CO molecules (2NO+2CO→2CO₂+N₂) through ER reactions (<0.4 eV) are energetically more favorable processes. These results can provide beneficial references for theoretical studies on NO and CO oxidation and designing graphene-based catalyst for toxic gas removal.     

Structure Sensitivity of CO Oxidation on Co3O4: A DFT Study

The reaction mechanism of CO oxidation on the Co₃O₄ (110) and Co₃O₄ (111) surfaces is investigated by means of spin‐polarized density functional theory (DFT) within the GGA+U framework. Adsorption situation and complete reaction cycles for CO oxidation are clarified. The results indicate that 1) the U value can affect the calculated energetic result significantly, not only the absolute adsorption energy but also the trend in adsorption energy; 2) CO can directly react with surface lattice oxygen atoms (O_2f/O_3f) to form CO₂ via the Mars–van Krevelen reaction mechanism on both (110)‐B and (111)‐B; 3) pre‐adsorbed molecular O₂ can enhance CO oxidation through the channel in which it directly reacts with molecular CO to form CO₂ [O₂(a)+CO(g)→CO₂(g)+O(a)] on (110)‐A/(111)‐A; 4) CO oxidation is a structure‐sensitive reaction, and the activation energy of CO oxidation follows the order of Co₃O₄ (111)‐A(0.78 eV)>Co₃O₄ (111)‐B (0.68 eV)>Co₃O₄ (110)‐A (0.51 eV)>Co₃O₄ (110)‐B (0.41 eV), that is, the (110) surface shows higher reactivity for CO oxidation than the (111) surface; 5) in addition to the O_2f, it was also found that Co³⁺ is more active than Co²⁺, so both O_2f and Co³⁺ control the catalytic activity of CO oxidation on Co₃O₄, as opposed to a previous DFT study which concluded that either Co³⁺ or O_2f is the active site.     

Co‐Adsorption of O2 and CO on Au2−: Infrared Photodissociation Spectroscopy and Theoretical Study of [Au2O2(CO)n]− (n=2–6)

The co‐adsorption of O₂ and CO on anionic sites of gold species is considered as a crucial step in the catalytic CO oxidation on gold catalysts. In this regard, the [Au₂O₂(CO)_n]^? (n=2–6) complexes were prepared by using a laser vaporization supersonic ion source and were studied by using infrared photodissociation spectroscopy in the gas phase. All the [Au₂O₂(CO)_n]^? (n=2–6) complexes were characterized to have a core structure involving one CO and one O₂ molecule co‐adsorbed on Au₂^? with the other CO molecules physically tagged around. The CO stretching frequency of the [Au₂O₂(CO)]^? core ion is observed around =2032–2042 cm^?1, which is about 200 cm^?1 higher than that in [Au₂(CO)₂]^?. This frequency difference and the analyses based on density functional calculations provide direct evidence for the synergy effect of the chemically adsorbed O₂ and CO. The low lying structures with carbonate group were not observed experimentally because of high formation barriers. The structures and the stability (i.e., the inertness in a sense) of the co‐adsorbed O₂ and CO on Au₂^? may have relevance to the elementary reaction steps on real gold catalysts.     

A Comparative Study of CO Oxidation on Nitrogen‐ and Phosphorus‐Doped Graphene

The geometry, electronic structure, and catalytic properties of nitrogen‐ and phosphorus‐doped graphene (N‐/P‐graphene) are investigated by density functional theory calculations. The reaction between adsorbed O₂ and CO molecules on N‐ and P‐graphene is comparably studied via Langmuir–Hinshelwood (LH) and Eley–Rideal (ER) mechanisms. The results indicate that a two‐step process can occur, namely, CO+O₂→CO₂+O_ads and CO+O_ads→CO₂. The calculated energy barriers of the first step are 15.8 and 12.4 kcal mol^?1 for N‐ and P‐graphene, respectively. The second step of the oxidation reaction on N‐graphene proceeds with an energy barrier of about 4 kcal mol^?1. It is noteworthy that this reaction step was not observed on P‐graphene because of the strong binding of O_ads species on the P atoms. Thus, it can be concluded that low‐cost N‐graphene can be used as a promising green catalyst for low‐temperature CO oxidation.     

Does enhanced oxygen activation always facilitate CO oxidation on gold clusters?

We investigate the catalytic activity of the subnanometer‐sized bimetallic Au₁₉Pt cluster for oxidation of CO via first‐principles density functional theory calculations. For this purpose we consider two structurally similar and energetically close homotops of the Au₁₉Pt cluster with the Pt atom occupying an edge (Td‐E) or a facet (Td‐S) site of a 20‐atom tetrahedron. Using these homotops as catalysts we calculate the complete reaction paths and the thermodynamic functions corresponding to the oxidation of CO to CO₂. It is found that the oxidation of CO on the Td‐S isomer occurs through a smaller reaction barrier (0.38 eV) as compared with that on the Td‐E isomer (0.70 eV), although the activation of O₂ on the latter is much higher than that on the former. Therefore, a clear conclusion is that a higher O₂ activation, which is generally believed to be the key factor for CO oxidation, solely cannot determine the catalytic efficiency of the Au‐Pt bimetallic clusters. In addition, we find a stronger CO adsorption on the Td‐E isomer (2.06 eV) as compared with that on the Td‐S isomer (1.68 eV). Although stronger CO adsorption on the Td‐E isomer leads to a higher O₂ activation; however, high value of CO adsorption energy deteriorates the catalytic activity of the Td‐E isomer towards the CO oxidation reaction. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Methanol oxidation on the PtPd(111) alloy surface: A density functional theory study

The mechanisms of methanol (CH₃OH) oxidation on the PtPd(111) alloy surface were systematically investigated by using density functional theory calculations. The energies of all the involved species were analyzed. The results indicated that with the removal of H atoms from adsorbates on PtPd(111) surface, the adsorption energies of (i) CH₃OH, CH₂OH, CHOH, and COH increased linearly, while those of (ii) CH₃OH, CH₃O, CH₂O, CHO, and CO exhibited odd‐even oscillation. On PtPd(111) surface, CH₃OH underwent the preferred initial C H bond scission followed by successive dehydrogenation and then CHO oxidation, that is, CH₃OH → CH₂OH → CHOH → CHO → CHOOH → COOH → CO₂. Importantly, the rate‐determining step of CH₃OH oxidation was found to switch from CO → CO₂ on Pt(111) to COOH → CO₂ + H on PtPd(111) with a lower energy barrier of 0.96 eV. Moreover, water also decomposed into OH more easily on PtPd(111) than on Pt(111). The calculated results indicate that alloying Pt with Pd could efficiently improve its catalytic performance for CH₃OH oxidation through altering the primary pathways from the CO path on pure Pt to the non‐CO path on PtPd(111).     

DFT Study of Cyanide Oxidation on Ge-Doped Carbon Nanotubes

In recent years, the discovery of efficient catalyst with low price to cyanide (CN) oxidation in normal temperature is a major concern in the industry. In present study, in first step the carbon nanotubes (CNTss) were doped with Ge and the surface of Ge-doped CNTss via O₂ molecule were activated. In second step the CN oxidation on activated Ge-CNTss surface via Langmuir–Hinshelwood (LH) and Eley–Rideal (ER) mechanisms was investigated. Results show that O₂ activated Ge-CNTs surface can oxidize the CN molecule via Ge-CNTs–O–O* + CN → Ge-CNTs–O–O*–CN → Ge-CNTs–O* + OCN and Ge-CNTs–O* + CN → Ge-CNTs + OCN reactions. Results show that CN oxidation on activated Ge-CNTs surface via the LH mechanism has lower energy barrier than ER mechanism. Finally, calculated parameters reveal that activated Ge-CNTss is acceptable catalyst with low price and high performance for CN oxidation in normal temperature.     

Stability and Catalytic Performance of Single-Atom Supported on Ti2CO2 for Low-Temperature CO Oxidation: A First-Principles Study

Based on first-principles calculations, the potential of Ti₂CO₂ monolayer (MXene) as a single-atom catalyst (SAC) support for 3d transition metal (TM) atoms (Sc, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, and Zn) is studied for CO oxidation. We first screen the support effect according to the stability of a single metal atom and find that Sc and Ti supported on Ti₂CO₂ have stronger adsorption energy than the cohesive energy of their bulk counterparts and therefore, we selected Sc and Ti supported on Ti₂CO₂ for further catalytic reactions. The stability and the potential catalytic reactivity are verified by electronic structure and charge transfer analysis. Both Eley–Rideal (ER) and Langmuir–Hinshelwood (LH) mechanisms are considered in this study, and lower energy barriers of 0.002 and 0.37 eV were found in the ER mechanism compared to the LH mechanism, which are 0.25 and 0.34 eV for Sc and Ti catalysts, respectively. Moreover, kinetic ER and LH mechanisms are favorable for both Sc- and Ti/Ti₂CO₂ because of the comparable energy barrier to other metals and SAC supported on 2D materials. However, Ti/Ti₂CO₂ catalyst is thermodynamically unfavorable. Based on these calculations, we propose that Sc supported on Ti₂CO₂ is the best catalyst for CO-oxidation. The current study not only broadens the scope of the single-atom Sc catalyst but also extends the consideration of MXene support for catalyst optimization.     

Reducing the Cost and Preserving the Reactivity in Noble‐Metal‐Based Catalysts: Oxidation of CO by Pt and Al–Pt Alloy Clusters Supported on Graphene

The oxidation mechanisms of CO to CO₂ on graphene‐supported Pt and Pt‐Al alloy clusters are elucidated by reactive dynamical simulations. The general mechanism evidenced is a Langmuir–Hinshelwood (LH) pathway in which O₂ is adsorbed on the cluster prior to the CO oxidation. The adsorbed O₂ dissociates into two atomic oxygen atoms thus promoting the CO oxidation. Auxiliary simulations on alloy clusters in which other metals (Al, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Ni) replace a Pt atom have pointed to the aluminum doped cluster as a special case. In the nanoalloy, the reaction mechanism for CO oxidation is still a LH pathway with an activation barrier sufficiently low to be overcome at room temperature, thus preserving the catalyst efficiency. This provides a generalizable strategy for the design of efficient, yet sustainable, Pt‐based catalysts at reduced cost.     

Surface interrogation mode of scanning electrochemical microscopy for oxidation study of adsorbed CO generated from serine on platinum

We report a new method for detection and oxidation of adsorbed carbon monoxide(CO_（ads）) generated from serine on a polycrystalline platinum ultramicroelectrode（UME） by bromine（Br₂） using in situ surface interrogation（SI） mode of scanning electrochemical microscopy（SECM）.In the SI mode,tip and substrate are both Pt UMEs,and CO_（ads） on Pt substrate,generated from serine,can be oxidized by the tip-generated Br₂ giving a positive response.Dosing CO_（ads） from serine instead of purging CO gas expands the newly introduced reaction of Br₂ with CO_（ads） and further enhances the hope to get rid of CO_（ads） on Pt for fuel cells.     

Low‐Temperature Oxidation of Carbon Monoxide with Gold(III) Ions Supported on Titanium Oxide

Au/TiO₂ catalysts prepared by a deposition–precipitation process and used for CO oxidation without previous calcination exhibited high, largely temperature‐independent conversions at low temperatures, with apparent activation energies of about zero. Thermal treatments, such as He at 623 K, changed the conversion–temperature characteristics to the well‐known S‐shape, with activation energies slightly below 30 kJ mol^?1. Sample characterization by XAFS and electron microscopy and a low‐temperature IR study of CO adsorption and oxidation showed that CO can be oxidized by gas‐phase O₂ at 90 K already over the freeze‐dried catalyst in the initial state that contained Au exclusively in the +3 oxidation state. CO conversion after activation in the feed at 303 K is due to Au^III‐containing sites at low temperatures, while Au⁰ dominates conversion at higher temperatures. After thermal treatments, CO conversion in the whole investigated temperature range results from sites containing exclusively Au⁰.     

Reaction mechanism of CO oxidation on Cu(2)O(111): A density functional study

The possible reaction mechanisms for CO oxidation on the perfect Cu(2)O(111) surface have been investigated by performing periodic density functional theoretical calculations. We find that Cu(2)O(111) is able to facilitate the CO oxidation with different mechanisms. Four possible mechanisms are explored (denoted as M(ER1), M(ER2), M(LH1), and M(LH2), respectively): M(ER1) is CO((gas))+O(2(ads))→CO(2(gas)); M(ER2) is CO((gas))+O(2(ads))→CO(3(ads))→O((ads))+CO(2(gas)); M(LH1) refers to CO((ads))+O(2(ads))→O((ads))+CO(2(ads)); and M(LH2) refers to CO((ads))+O(2(ads))→OOCO((ads))→O((ads))+CO(2(ads)). Our transition state calculations clearly reveal that M(ER1) and M(LH2) are both viable; but M(ER1) mechanism preferentially operates, in which only a moderate energy barrier (60.22 kJ/mol) needs to be overcome. When CO oxidation takes place along M(ER2) path, it is facile for CO(3) formation, but is difficult for its decomposition, thereby CO(3) species can stably exist on Cu(2)O(111). Of course, the reaction of CO with lattice O of Cu(2)O(111) is also considered. However, the calculated barrier is 600.00 kJ/mol, which is too large to make the path feasible. So, we believe that on Cu(2)O(111), CO reacts with adsorbed O, rather than lattice O, to form CO(2). This is different from the usual Mars-van Krevene mechanism. The present results enrich our understanding of the catalytic oxidation of CO by copper-based and metal-oxide catalysts.     

Strain boosts CO oxidation on Ni single-atom-catalyst supported by defective graphene

In order to realize the sulfur and water resistance and facilitate the CO oxidation reactions,the effects of strain on the adsorption of CO,O₂,SO₂ and H₂O molecules on Ni single-atom-catalyst supported by single-carbon-vacancy graphene(Ni-SG) have been studied based on first principles calculations.It shows that the compressive strain increases the adsorption energies of all above mentioned molecules on Ni-SG,where SO₂ is adsorbed more strongly on Ni-S...     

CO Oxidation Promoted by the Gold Dimer in Au2VO3− and Au2VO4− Clusters

Investigations on the reactivity of atomic clusters have led to the identification of the elementary steps involved in catalytic CO oxidation, a prototypical reaction in heterogeneous catalysis. The atomic oxygen species O^.? and O^2? bonded to early‐transition‐metal oxide clusters have been shown to oxidize CO. This study reports that when an Au₂ dimer is incorporated within the cluster, the molecular oxygen species O₂^2? bonded to vanadium can be activated to oxidize CO under thermal collision conditions. The gold dimer was doped into Au₂VO₄^? cluster ions which then reacted with CO in an ion‐trap reactor to produce Au₂VO₃^? and then Au₂VO₂^?. The dynamic nature of gold in terms of electron storage and release promotes CO oxidation and O? O bond reduction. The oxidation of CO by atomic clusters in this study parallels similar behavior reported for the oxidation of CO by supported gold catalysts.     

Are the anions MeO(CO) (n = 1 and 2) methoxide anion donors in the gas phase? A theoretical investigation

• 1. The anions CH₃O‐^–CO and CH₃OCO‐^–CO are both methoxide anion donors. The processes CH₃O‐^–CO → CH₃O^– + CO and CH₃OCO—CO → CH₃O^– + 2CO have ΔG values of +8 and ?68 kJ mol^?1, respectively, at the CCSD(T)/6‐311++G(2d, 2p)//B3LYP/6‐311++G(2d,2p) level of theory.
• 2. The reactions CH₃OCOCO → CH₃OCO + CO (ΔG = ?22 kJ mol^?1) and CH₃COCH(O^–)CO₂CH₃ → CH₃COCH(O^–)OCH₃ + CO (ΔG = +19 kJ mol^?1) proceed directly from the precursor anions via the transition states (CH₃OCO…CO₂)^– and (CH₃COCHO…CH₃OCO)^–, respectively.
• 3. Anion CH₃COCH(O^–)CO₂CH₃ undergoes methoxide anion transfer and loss of two molecules of CO in the reaction sequence CH₃COCH(O^–)CO₂CH₃ → CH₃CH(O^–)COCO₂CH₃ → [CH₃CHO (CH₃OCO‐^–CO)] → CH₃CH(O^–)OCH₃ + 2CO (ΔG = +9 kJ mol^?1). The hydride ion transfer in the first step is a key feature of the reaction sequence.

Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Shock‐tube and modeling study of acetaldehyde pyrolysis and oxidation

Pyrolysis and oxidation of acetaldehyde were studied behind reflected shock waves in the temperature range 1000–1700 K at total pressures between 1.2 and 2.8 atm. The study was carried out using the following methods, (1) time‐resolved IR‐laser absorption at 3.39 μm for acetaldehyde decay and CH‐compound formation rates, (2) time‐resolved UV absorption at 200 nm for CH₂CO and C₂H₄ product formation rates, (3) time‐resolved UV absorption at 216 nm for CH₃ formation rates, (4) time‐resolved UV absorption at 306.7 nm for OH radical formation rate, (5) time‐resolved IR emission at 4.24 μm for the CO₂ formation rate, (6) time‐resolved IR emission at 4.68 μm for the CO and CH₂CO formation rate, and (7) a single‐pulse technique for product yields. From a computer‐simulation study, a 178‐reaction mechanism that could satisfactorily model all of our data was constructed using new reactions, CH₃CHO (+M) → CH₄ + CO (+M), CH₃CHO (+M) → CH₂CO + H₂(+M), H + CH₃CHO → CH₂CHO + H₂, CH₃ + CH₃CHO → CH₂CHO + CH₄, O₂ + CH₃CHO → CH₂CHO + HO₂, O + CH₃CHO → CH₂CHO + OH, OH + CH₃CHO → CH₂CHO + H₂O, HO₂ + CH₃CHO → CH₂CHO + H₂O₂, having assumed or evaluated rate constants. The submechanisms of methane, ethylene, ethane, formaldehyde, and ketene were found to play an important role in acetaldehyde oxidation. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. 40: 73–102, 2008     

Comparative Study of NO and CO Oxidation Reactions on Single-Atom Catalysts Anchored Graphene-like Monolayer

Noble metal single-atom catalysts (NM-SACs) anchored at novel graphene-like supports has attracted enormous interests. Gas sensitivity, catalytic activity, and d-band centers of single NM (Pt and Pd) atoms at graphenylene (graphenylene-NM) are investigated using first-principle calculations. The adsorption geometries of gas reactants on graphenylene-NM sheets are analyzed. It is found that the adsorption energies of reactant species on graphenylene-Pt are larger than those on graphenylene-Pd, because the d-band center of the Pt atom is closeser to the Fermi level. The NO and CO oxidation reactions on graphenylene-NM are investigated via four catalytic mechanisms, including Langmuir-Hinshelwood (LH), Eley-Rideal (ER), New ER (NER), and termolecular ER (TER). The results show that the NO and CO oxidations via LH and TER mechanisms can occur owing to the relatively small energy barriers. Moreover, the interaction of 2NO+2CO via ER mechanism is the energetically more favorable reaction. Although the NO oxidation via the NER mechanism has rather low energy barriers, the reaction is unlikely to occur due to the low adsorption energy of O₂ compared with CO and NO. This research may provide guidance for exploring the catalytic performance of SACs on graphene-like materials to remove toxic gas molecules.     

The catalytic mechanism of CO oxidation in AlAu<Subscript>6</Subscript> clusters determined by density functional theory

We present density functional calculations of O₂ and CO adsorption on an AlAu₆ cluster. It is found that in the AlAu₆ cluster the active sites would be first occupied by coming O₂ rather than CO due to a more negative binding energy of the former. Furthermore, the catalytic mechanisms of CO oxidation in AlAu₆ clusters, which are based on a single CO molecule and double CO molecules, are discussed. This investigation reveals that the reaction of a single CO molecule with the AlAu₆O₂ complex has the lowest activation barrier (0.27 eV), which is 0.51 eV lower than that of the pure Au₆^? cluster. For the AlAu₆O₂(CO)₂ complex, due to the structural distortion of the AlAu₆ cluster, the activation barrier of the determination rate is higher by 0.53 eV than that of the AlAu₆O₂CO complex, which shows that the cooperation effect of the second CO molecule can go against CO oxidation. For the Al@Au₆O₂(CO)₂ complex, the activation barrier of the determination rate is lower by 0.07 eV than the path of one CO molecule, which demonstrates that the cooperation effect of the second CO molecule can prompt CO oxidation.     

Multiple CO Oxidation Promoted by Au2 Dimers in Au2TiO4− Cluster Anions

Time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry experiments demonstrated that laser ablation generated and mass selected Au₂TiO₄^? cluster anions can unexpectedly oxidize three CO molecules in an ion trap reactor. This is an improvement on the more commonly observed oxidation of at most two CO molecules by a doped cluster. Quantum chemistry calculations were performed to rationalize the reactions. The lowest energy isomer of Au₂TiO₄^? contains a superoxide unit, the participation of which in CO oxidation can be promoted by the Au₂ dimer. The Au₂ dimer functions as a rather flexible electron reservoir in each CO oxidation step in terms of the release and storage of electrons to drive the dissociation of superoxide to peroxide and then to lattice oxygen atoms, which can be removed by reaction with CO molecules. This gas‐phase study enriches our understanding toward the nature of reactive oxygen species involved in gold‐catalyzed oxidation reactions.