The mechanism of emerging catalytic activity of gold nano-clusters on rutile TiO2(110) in CO oxidation reaction

This paper reveals the fact that the O adatoms (O(ad)) adsorbed on the 5-fold Ti rows of rutile TiO(2)(110) react with CO to form CO(2) at room temperature and the oxidation reaction is pronouncedly enhanced by Au nano-clusters deposited on the above O-rich TiO(2)(110) surfaces. The optimum activity is obtained for 2D clusters with a lateral size of ～1.5 nm and two-atomic layer height corresponding to ～50 Au atoms∕cluster. This strong activity emerging is attributed to an electronic charge transfer from Au clusters to O-rich TiO(2)(110) supports observed clearly by work function measurement, which results in an interface dipole. The interface dipoles lower the potential barrier for dissociative O(2) adsorption on the surface and also enhance the reaction of CO with the O(ad) atoms to form CO(2) owing to the electric field of the interface dipoles, which generate an attractive force upon polar CO molecules and thus prolong the duration time on the Au nano-clusters. This electric field is screened by the valence electrons of Au clusters except near the perimeter interfaces, thereby the activity is diminished for three-dimensional clusters with a larger size.     

单晶Au表面和Au/TiO2（110）模型催化剂表面CO氧化反应机理和活性位

在分子尺度上介绍了Au/TiO2(110)模型催化剂表面和单晶Au表面CO氧化反应机理和活性位、以及H2O的作用.在低温(<320 K), H2O起着促进CO氧化的作用, CO氧化的活性位位于金纳米颗粒与TiO2载体界面(Auδ+–Oδ––Ti)的周边. O2和H2O在金纳米颗粒与TiO2载体界面边缘处反应形成OOH,而形成的OOH使O–O键活化,随后OOH与CO反应生成CO2.300 K时CO2的形成速率受限于O2压力与该反应机理相印证.相反,在高温(>320 K)下,因暴露于CO中而导致催化剂表面重组,在表面形成低配位金原子.低配位的金原子吸附O2,随后O2解离,并在金属金表面氧化CO.     

CO oxidation on Aun/TiO2 catalysts produced by size-selected cluster deposition

Planar model catalysts were prepared by deposition of size-selected gold clusters containing up to seven atoms on rutile TiO2 (110). Molecular oxygen is observed to bind inefficiently to the surface, probably at oxygen vacancies, and some oxygen also appears to bind to the gold clusters. Stable CO binding is observed atop gold for catalysts prepared by Au and Au2 deposition, but not for larger Aun. CO oxidation activity is strongly dependent on cluster size, with Au7-prepared samples >50 times more reactive than samples prepared by Au or Au2 deposition     

Communication: CO oxidation by silver and gold cluster cations: identification of different active oxygen species

The oxidation of carbon monoxide with nitrous oxide on mass-selected Au(3)(+) and Ag(3)(+) clusters has been investigated under multicollision conditions in an octopole ion trap experiment. The comparative study reveals that for both gold and silver cations carbon dioxide is formed on the clusters. However, whereas in the case of Au(3)(+) the cluster itself acts as reactive species that facilitates the formation of CO(2) from N(2)O and CO, for silver the oxidized clusters Ag(3)O(x)(+) (n=1-3) are identified as active in the CO oxidation reaction. Thus, in the case of the silver cluster cations N(2)O is dissociated and one oxygen atom is suggested to directly react with CO, whereas a second kind of oxygen strongly bound to silver is acting as a substrate for the reaction.     

The mechanism of the water-gas shift reaction on Cu/TiO2(110) elucidated from application of density-functional theory

The Cu/TiO(2)(110) surface displays a great catalytic activity toward the water-gas shift reaction (WGSR), for which Cu is considered to be the most active metal on a TiO(2)(110)-supported surface. Experiments revealed that Cu nanoparticles bind preferentially to the terrace and steps of the TiO(2)(110) surface, which would not only affect the growth mode of the surface cluster but also enhance the catalytic activity, unlike Au nanoparticles for which occupancy of surface vacancies is favored, resulting in poorer catalytic performance than Cu. With density-functional theory we calculated some possible potential-energy surfaces for the carboxyl and redox mechanisms of the WGSR at the interface between the Cu cluster and the TiO(2) support. Our results show that the redox mechanism would be the dominant path; the resident Cu clusters greatly diminish the barrier for CO oxidation (22.49 and 108.68 kJ mol(-1), with and without Cu clusters, respectively). When adsorbed CO is catalytically oxidized by the bridging oxygen of the Cu/TiO(2)(110) surface to form CO(2), the release of CO(2) from the surface would result in the formation of an oxygen vacancy on the surface to facilitate the ensuing water splitting (barrier 34.90 vs. 50.49 kJ mol(-1), with and without the aid of a surface vacancy).     

First principles study of CO oxidation on TiO2(110): the role of surface oxygen vacancies

The reactivities of the stoichiometric and partially reduced rutile TiO2(110) surfaces towards oxygen adsorption and carbon monoxide oxidation have been studied by means of periodic density functional theory calculations within the Car-Parrinello approach. O2 adsorption as well as CO oxidation are found to take place only in the presence of surface oxygen vacancies (partially reduced surface). The oxidation of CO by molecularly adsorbed O2 at the O-vacancy site is found to have an activation energy of about 0.4 eV. When the adsorbed O2 is dissociated, the resulting adatoms can oxidize incoming gas-phase CO molecules with no barrier. In all studied cases, once CO is oxidized to form CO2, the resulting surface is defect-free and no catalytic cycle can be established.     

Two-dimensional to three-dimensional structural transition of gold cluster Au10 during soft landing on TiO2 surface and its effect on CO oxidation

We investigate the possible structural transition of a planar Au(10) cluster during its soft landing on a TiO(2) (110) surface with or with no oxygen defects. The collision between the gold cluster and the oxide surface is simulated using the Car-Parrinello quantum molecular dynamics method. Both high-speed and low-speed conditions typically implemented in soft-landing experiments are simulated. It is found that under a high-speed condition, the gold cluster Au(10) can undergo a sequence of structural transitions after colliding with a defect-free TiO(2) (110) surface. When the TiO(2) (110) surface possesses oxygen vacancies, however, chemical bonds can form between gold and Ti atoms if gold atoms contact directly with the vacancies. As a consequence, one oxygen vacancy is capable of trapping one Au atom, and thus can split the Au(10) into two parts while bouncing back from the surface. In addition, we study reaction pathways for the CO oxidation based on three isomer structures of Au(10) observed in the soft-landing simulation: (1) the precollision two-dimensional structure, (2) a postcollision three-dimensional (3D) structure, and (3) an intermediate (transient) 3D structure that appeared in the midst of the collision. This study allows us to examine the structure-activity relationship using the Au(10) as a prototype model catalyst.     

Theoretical study of CO adsorption on gold/alumina substrates

Aiming to understand the role of the substrate in the adsorption of carbon monoxide on gold clusters supported on metal-oxides, we have started a study of that process on two different alumina substrates: an amorphous-like fully relaxed stoichiometric (Al2O3)20 cluster and the Al terminated (0001) surface of alpha-(Al2O3) crystal. In this paper, we present first principles calculations for the adsorption of one Au atom on both alumina substrate and the adsorption of Au8 on (Al2O3)20. Then, we study the CO adsorption on the minimum energy structure of these three different gold/alumina systems. A single Au adsorbs preferably on top of an Al atom with low coordination, the binding energy being higher in the case of Au/(Al2O3)20. CO absorbs preferably on top of the Au atom, but in the case of Au/(Al2O3)20, Au forms a bridge with the Al and O substrate atoms after CO adsorption. We find other stable sites for CO adsorption on the cluster but not on the surface. This result suggests that the Au activity toward CO may be larger for the amorphous cluster than for the crystal surface substrate. For the most stable Au8/(Al2O3)20 configuration, two Au atoms bind to Al and a O atoms respectively and CO adsorbs on top of the Au which binds to the Al atom. We find other CO adsorption sites on supported Au8 which are not stable for the free Au8 cluster.     

Water-enhanced low-temperature CO oxidation and isotope effects on atomic oxygen-covered Au(111)

Water-oxygen interactions and CO oxidation by water on the oxygen-precovered Au(111) surface were studied by using molecular beam scattering techniques, temperature-programmed desorption (TPD), and density functional theory (DFT) calculations. Water thermally desorbs from the clean Au(111) surface with a peak temperature of approximately 155 K; however, on a surface with preadsorbed atomic oxygen, a second water desorption peak appears at approximately 175 K. DFT calculations suggest that hydroxyl formation and recombination are responsible for this higher temperature desorption feature. TPD spectra support this interpretation by showing oxygen scrambling between water and adsorbed oxygen adatoms upon heating the surface. In further support of these experimental findings, DFT calculations indicate rapid diffusion of surface hydroxyl groups at temperatures as low as 75 K. Regarding the oxidation of carbon monoxide, if a C (16)O beam impinges on a Au(111) surface covered with both atomic oxygen ( (16)O) and isotopically labeled water (H 2 (18)O), both C (16)O (16)O and C (16)O (18)O are produced, even at surface temperatures as low as 77 K. Similar experiments performed by impinging a C (16)O beam on a Au(111) surface covered with isotopic oxygen ( (18)O) and deuterated water (D 2 (16)O) also produce both C (16)O (16)O and C (16)O (18)O but less than that produced by using (16)O and H 2 (18)O. These results unambiguously show the direct involvement and promoting role of water in CO oxidation on oxygen-covered Au(111) at low temperatures. On the basis of our experimental results and DFT calculations, we propose that water dissociates to form hydroxyls (OH and OD), and these hydroxyls react with CO to produce CO 2. Differences in water-oxygen interactions and oxygen scrambling were observed between (18)O/H 2 (16)O and (18)O/D 2 (16)O, the latter producing less scrambling. Similar differences were also observed in water reactivity toward CO oxidation, in which less CO 2 was produced with (16)O/D 2 (16)O than with (16)O/H 2 (16)O. These differences are likely due to primary kinetic isotope effects due to the differences in O-H and O-D bond energies.     

CO bond cleavage on supported nano-gold during low temperature oxidation

The oxidation of CO by Au/Fe(2)O(3) and Au/ZnO catalysts is compared in the very early stages of the reaction using a temporal analysis of products (TAP) reactor. For Au/Fe(2)O(3) pre-dosing the catalyst with (18)O labelled water gives an unexpected evolution order for the labelled CO(2) product with the C(18)O(2) emerging first, whereas no temporal differentiation is found for Au/ZnO. High pressure XPS experiments are then used to show that CO bond cleavage does occur for model catalysts consisting of Au particles deposited on iron oxide films but not when deposited on ZnO films. DFT calculations, show that this observation requires carbon monoxide to dissociate in such a way that cleavage of the CO bond occurs along with dynamically co-adsorbed oxygen so that the overall process of Au oxidation and CO dissociation is energetically favourable. Our results show that for Au/Fe(2)O(3) there is a pathway for CO oxidation that involves atomic C and O surface species which operates along side the bicarbonate mechanism that is widely discussed in the literature. However, this minor pathway is absent for Au/ZnO.     

Cluster size effects on CO oxidation activity, adsorbate affinity, and temporal behavior of model Au(n)/TiO2 catalysts

Model catalysts were prepared by deposition of size-selected Au(n) (n = 1-7) on rutile TiO2(110), and characterized by a combination of electron spectroscopy, ion scattering, temperature-programmed desorption, and pulse-dosing mass spectrometry. CO oxidation activity was found to vary strongly with deposited cluster size, with significant activity appearing at Au3. Activity is not obviously correlated with affinity for CO, or with cluster morphology, but is strongly correlated with the clusters' ability to bind oxygen (during O2 exposure) on top of the gold. The temporal dependence of CO2 evolution in reaction of O2 pre-exposed samples with CO pulses shows an interesting cluster size dependence. For Au5 and Au6, the peak CO2 production is coincident with the peak CO flux, but for Au3, Au4, and Au7, there are significant induction periods for CO2 evolution. In addition, it is observed that some of the most active cluster sizes have the slowest CO2 evolution rates. Several mechanistic scenarios capable of accounting for the observations are laid out.     

Charging of Au atoms on TiO2 thin films from CO vibrational spectroscopy and DFT calculations

Au atoms have been deposited on oxidized and reduced TiO2 thin films grown on Mo(110). The gold binding sites and the occurrence of Au-TiO2 charge transfer were identified by measuring infrared spectra as a function of temperature and substrate preparation. The results have been interpreted by slab model DFT calculations. Au binds weakly to regular TiO2 sites (De < 0.5 eV) where it remains neutral, and diffuses easily even at low temperature until it gets trapped at strong binding sites such as oxygen vacancies (De = 1.7 eV). Here, a charge transfer from TiO2 to Au occurs. Au(delta-)CO complexes formed on oxygen vacancies easily lose CO (De = 0.4 eV), and the CO stretching frequency is red-shifted. On nondefective surfaces, CO adsorption induces a charge transfer from Au to TiO2 with formation of strongly bound Audelta+CO complexes (De = 2.4 eV); the corresponding CO frequency is blue-shifted with respect to free CO. We propose possible mechanisms to reconcile the observed CO desorption around 380 K with the unusually high stability of Au-CO complexes formed on regular sites predicted by the calculations. This implies: (a) diffusion of AuCO complexes above 150 K; (b) formation of gold dimers when the diffusing AuCO complex encounters a Au atom bound to an oxygen vacancy (reduced TiO2) or a second AuCO unit (oxidized TiO2); and (c) CO desorption from the resulting dimer, occurring around 350-400 K.     

Saturated adsorption of CO and coadsorption of CO and O2 on AuN- (N=2-7) clusters

A first-principles quantum chemistry method, based on the Kohn-Sham density-functional theory, is used to investigate the adsorption of CO and O2 on small gas-phase gold cluster anions. The saturated adsorption of carbon monoxide on gold cluster anions AuN- (N=2-7) is discussed. The adsorption ability of CO reduces with the increase of the number of CO molecules bound to gold cluster anions, resulting in saturated adsorption at a certain amount of absorbed CO molecules, which is determined by geometric and electronic properties of gold clusters cooperatively. The effect of CO preadsorption on the electronic properties of gold cluster anions depends on the cluster size and the number of adsorbed CO, and the vertical detachment energies of CO-adsorbed gold cluster anions show a few changes with respect to corresponding pure gold cluster anions. The results indicate that the impinging adsorption of CO molecules may lead to geometry structure transformation on Au3- cluster. For the coadsorption of CO and O2 on Au2-, Au3- isomers, Au4-, and Au6-, we describe the cooperative adsorption between CO and O2, and find that the O2 dissociation is difficult on gas-phase gold cluster anions even with the preadsorption of CO.     

CO oxidation on unsupported Au55, Ag55, and Au25Ag30 nanoclusters

Using density functional calculations, we demonstrate a catalytic reaction path with activation barriers of less than 0.5 eV for CO oxidation on the neutral and unsupported icosahedral nanoclusters of Au(55), Ag(55), and Au(25)Ag(30). Both CO and O(2) adsorb more strongly on these clusters than on the corresponding bulk surfaces. The reaction path consists of an intermediate involving OOCO complex through which the coadsorption energy of CO and O(2) on these clusters is expected to play an important role in the reaction. Based on the studies for the Au and Ag nanoclusters, a model alloy nanocluster of Au(25)Ag(30) was designed to provide a larger coadsorption energy for CO and O(2) and was anticipated to be a better catalyst for CO oxidation from energetic analysis.     

Coadsorption of CO and O(2) on selected gold clusters: evidence for efficient room-temperature CO(2) generation

Spurred by the recent demonstrations of the size- and support-dependent reactivity of supported gold clusters, here we present results on the coadsorption of CO and O(2) on selected anionic gold clusters, Au(N)(-), in the gas phase. O(2) adsorbs in a binary (0,1) fashion as a one-electron acceptor on the Au(N)()(-) clusters, with even-N clusters showing varying reactivity toward O(2) adsorption, while odd-N clusters show no evidence of reactivity. CO shows a highly size-dependent reactivity for Au(N)(-) sizes from N = 4 to 19, but no adsorption on the gold dimer or trimer. When the gold clusters are exposed to both reactants, either simultaneously or sequentially, interesting effects have been observed. While the same rules pertaining to individual O(2) or CO adsorption continue to apply, the preadsorption of one reactant on a cluster may lead to the increased reactivity of the cluster to the other reactant. Thus, the adsorbates are not competing for bonding sites (competitive coadsorption), but, instead, aid in the adsorption of one another (cooperative coadsorption). New peaks also arise in the mass spectrum of Au(6)(-) under CO and O(2) coadsorption conditions, which can be attributed to the loss of a CO(2) molecule (or molecules). By studying the relative amount of reaction, and relating it to the reaction time, it is found that the gas-phase Au(6) anion is capable of oxidizing CO at a rate 100 times that reported for commercial or model gold catalysts.     

Density functional theory study of CO catalytic oxidation on Co_2B_2/TiO_2（110） surface

Titanium dioxide with CoB amorphous alloys nanoparticles deposited on the surface is known to exhibit higher catalytic activity than the CoB amorphous. A study of the structure of such system is necessary to understand this effect. A quantum chemical study of Co2B2 on the TiO2 (110) surface was studied using periodic slab model within the framework of density functional theory (DFT). The results of geometry optimization indicated that the most stable model of adsorption was Co2B2 cluster adsorbed on the hollow site of TiO2.The adsorption energy calculated for Co2B2 on the hollow site was 439.3 kJ/mol.The adsorption of CO and O2 was further studied and the results indicated that CO and O2 are preferred to adsorb on the Co2 site. Co-adsorption of CO and O2 shows that Co2B2/TiO2 is a good catalyst for the oxidation of CO to carbon dioxide in the presence of oxygen.     

Influence of stoichiometry and charge state on the structure and reactivity of cobalt oxide clusters with CO

Cationic and anionic cobalt oxide clusters, generated by laser vaporization, were studied using guided-ion-beam mass spectrometry to obtain insight into their structure and reactivity with carbon monoxide. Anionic clusters having the stoichiometries Co2O3(-), Co2O5(-), Co3O5(-) and Co3O6(-) were found to exhibit dominant products corresponding to the transfer of a single oxygen atom to CO, indicating the formation of CO 2. Cationic clusters, in contrast, displayed products resulting from the adsorption of CO onto the cluster accompanied by the loss of either molecular O 2 or cobalt oxide units. In addition, collision induced dissociation experiments were conducted with N 2 and inert xenon gas for the anionic clusters, and xenon gas for the cationic clusters. It was found that cationic clusters fragment preferentially through the loss of molecular O 2 whereas anionic clusters tend to lose both atomic oxygen and cobalt oxide units. To further analyze how stoichiometry and ionic charge state influence the structure of cobalt oxide clusters and their reactivity with CO, first principles theoretical electronic structure studies within the density functional theory framework were performed. The calculations show that the enhanced reactivity of specific anionic cobalt oxides with CO is due to their relatively low atomic oxygen dissociation energy which makes the oxidation of CO energetically favorable. For cationic cobalt oxide clusters, in contrast, the oxygen dissociation energies are calculated to be even lower than for the anionic species. However, in the cationic clusters, oxygen is calculated to bind preferentially in a less activated molecular O 2 form. Furthermore, the CO adsorption energy is calculated to be larger for cationic clusters than for anionic species. Therefore, the experimentally observed displacement of weakly bound O 2 units through the exothermic adsorption of CO onto positively charged cobalt oxides is energetically favorable. Our joint experimental and theoretical findings indicate that positively charged sites in bulk-phase cobalt oxides may serve to bind CO to the catalyst surface and specific negatively charged sites provide the activated oxygen which leads to the formation of CO 2. These results provide molecular level insight into how size, stoichiometry, and ionic charge state influence the oxidation of CO in the presence of cobalt oxides, an important reaction for environmental pollution abatement.     

Adsorption of O2 and oxidation of CO at Au nanoparticles supported by TiO2(110)

Density functional theory calculations are performed for the adsorption of O2, coadsorption of CO, and the CO+O2 reaction at the interfacial perimeter of nanoparticles supported by rutile TiO2(110). Both stoichiometric and reduced TiO2 surfaces are considered, with various relative arrangements of the supported Au particles with respect to the substrate vacancies. Rather stable binding configurations are found for the O2 adsorbed either at the trough Ti atoms or leaning against the Au particles. The presence of a supported Au particle strongly stabilizes the adsorption of O2. A sizable electronic charge transfer from the Au to the O2 is found together with a concomitant electronic polarization of the support meaning that the substrate is mediating the charge transfer. The O2 attains two different charge states, with either one or two surplus electrons depending on the precise O2 adsorption site at or in front of the Au particle. From the least charged state, the O2 can react with CO adsorbed at the edge sites of the Au particles leading to the formation of CO2 with very low (approximately 0.15 eV) energy barriers.     

同步辐射光电了能谱研究在团簇存金红石相TiO2-（1×1）表面的生长和稳定性

利用同步辐射高分辨光电子能谱研究了金团簇在部分还原TiO2-（1×1）表面的生长和稳定性．价带谱实验结果观察到非常少量金团簇的沉积导致了Ti^3＋的3d峰完全消失,表明金团簇成核在TiO2-（1×1）表面的氧缺陷位．Au4f芯电子光电子能谱实验结果证明了TiO2-（1×1）表面氧缺陷位向金团簇转移电荷．还对比研究了化学剂量比和部分还原的TiO2-（1×1）表面上金团簇的热稳定性．当金团簇尺寸相近时部分还原的TiO2-（1×1）表面上金团簇要比化学剂量比的TiO2-（1×1）面上金团簇稳定;在相同的表面上尺寸大的金团簇要比尺寸小的金团簇稳定．