Photoinduced surface dynamics of CO adsorbed on a platinum electrode

The surface dynamics of adsorbed CO molecules formed by dissociative adsorption of HCHO at a polycrystalline Pt electrode/electrolyte solution interface was studied by picosecond time-resolved sum-frequency generation (TR-SFG) spectroscopy. A SFG peak at 2050-2060 cm(-1) was observed at the Pt electrode in HClO(4) solution containing HCHO at 0-300 mV (vs Ag/AgCl), indicating the formation of adsorbed CO at an atop site of the Pt surface as a result of dissociative adsorption of HCHO. The peak position varied with potential by approximately 33 cm(-1)/V, as previously found in an infrared reflection absorption spectroscopy (IRAS) study. Irradiation of an intense picosecond visible pulse (25 ps, 532 nm) caused an instant intensity decrease and broadening of the CO peak accompanied by the emergence of a new broad peak at approximately 1980 cm(-1) within the time resolution of the system. These results suggest a decrease and increase in the populations of CO adsorbed on atop and bridge sites, respectively, upon visible pump pulse irradiation.     

Sum frequency generation vibrational spectroscopic and high-pressure scanning tunneling microscopic studies of benzene hydrogenation on Pt(111)

Sum frequency generation (SFG) vibrational spectroscopy and high-pressure scanning tunneling microscopy (HP-STM) have been used in combination for the first time to study a catalytic reaction. These techniques have been able to identify surface intermediates in situ during benzene hydrogenation on a Pt(111) single-crystal surface at Torr pressures. In a background of 10 Torr of benzene, STM is able to image small ordered regions corresponding to the c(2 radical3 x 3)rect structure in which each molecule is chemisorbed at a bridge site. In addition, individual benzene molecules are also observed between the ordered regions. These individual molecules are assumed to be physisorbed benzene on the basis of the SFG results showing both chemisorbed and physisorbed molecules. The surface becomes too mobile to image upon addition of hydrogen but is determined to have physisorbed and chemisorbed benzene present by SFG. It was spectroscopically determined that heating the platinum surface after poisoning with CO displaces benzene molecules. The high-coverage pure CO structure of (radical19 x radical19)R23.4 degrees imaged with STM is a verification of spectroscopic measurements.     

Adsorption and reactions of NO on clean and CO-precovered Ir(111)

Adsorption and reactions of NO on clean and CO-precovered Ir(111) were investigated by means of X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), high-resolution electron energy loss spectroscopy (HR-EELS), infrared reflection absorption spectroscopy (IRAS), and temperature-programmed desorption (TPD). Two NO adsorption states, indicative of fcc-hollow sites and atop sites, were present on the Ir(111) surface at saturation coverage. NO adsorbed on hollow sites dissociated to Na and Oa at temperatures above 283 K. The dissociated Na desorbed to form N2 by recombination of Na at 574 K and by a disproportionation reaction between atop-NO and Na at 471 K. Preadsorbed CO inhibited the adsorption of NO on atop sites, whereas adsorption on hollow sites was not affected by the coexistence of CO. The adsorbed CO reacted with dissociated Oa and desorbed as CO2 at 574 K.     

In situ infrared reflection absorption spectroscopy of carbon monoxide adsorbed on Pt(S)-[n(100)x(110)] electrodes

Structural effects on the adsorption of CO have been studied using infrared reflection absorption spectroscopy (IRAS) on Pt(S)-[n(100)x(110)] surfaces (n = 2, 5, 9) that have densely packed kink atoms in the step. Coverage and potential dependence of the IRAS spectra are scrutinized. On-top and bridge-bonded CO are found on all of the surfaces examined. CO is adsorbed on only kink at low coverage (thetaCO < or = 0.2). Adsorbed CO on kink gives an IR band at lower frequency than that on step. CO is adsorbed on both kink and terrace at 0.3 < or = thetaCO. Water is adsorbed on the terrace of Pt(510) n = 5 and Pt(910) n = 9 at low CO coverage, but water is not found on Pt(210) n = 2 of which the first layer is composed of only kink atoms. It is suggested that coadsorbed water on the terrace enhances the activity for the oxidation of adsorbed CO on the kink remarkably.     

Oxidation of adsorbed CO on Pt(111) in CO-saturated perchloric acid aqueous solutions: simultaneous in situ time-resolved reflectance spectroscopy and second harmonic generation studies

Simultaneous normalized differential reflectance spectroscopy (DeltaR/R) and second harmonic generation (SHG) has been employed to follow, independently, OH and adsorbed CO (CO(ads)) on a single Pt(111) microfacet in CO-saturated aqueous perchloric acidic solutions during voltammetric cycles, leading to the oxidation of CO(ads) and subsequent readsorption of CO on the surface. The results obtained are consistent with the disruption of the radical19 x radical19R19.1 degrees phase just prior to the oxidation of adsorbed CO.     

CO adsorption and reaction on clean and oxygen-covered Au(211) surfaces

We have used primarily temperature-programmed desorption (TPD) and infrared reflection-absorption spectroscopy (IRAS) to investigate CO adsorption on a Au(211) stepped single-crystal surface. The Au(211) surface can be described as a step-terrace structure consisting of three-atom-wide terraces of (111) orientation and a monatomic step with a (100) orientation, or 3(111) x (100) in microfacet notation. CO was only weakly adsorbed but was more strongly bound at step sites (12 kcal mol(-1)) than at terrace sites (6.5-9 kcal mol(-1)). The sticking coefficient of CO on the Au(211) surface was also higher ( approximately 5x) during occupation of step sites compared to populating terrace sites at higher coverages. The nu(CO) stretching band energy in IRAS spectra indicated that CO was adsorbed at atop sites at all coverages and conditions. A small red shift of nu(CO) from 2126 to 2112 cm(-1) occurred with increasing CO coverage on the surface. We conclude that the presence of these particular step sites at the Au(211) surface imparts stronger CO bonding and a higher reactivity than on the flat Au(111) surface, but these changes are not remarkable compared to chemistry on other more reactive crystal planes or other stepped Au surfaces. Thus, it is unlikely that the presence or absence of this particular crystal plane alone at the surface of supported Au nanoparticles has much to do with the remarkable properties of highly active Au catalysts.     

The effect of the particle size on the kinetics of CO electrooxidation on high surface area Pt catalysts

Using high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (TEM), infrared reflection-absorption spectroscopy (IRAS), and electrochemical (EC) measurements, platinum nanoparticles ranging in size from 1 to 30 nm are characterized and their catalytic activity for CO electrooxidation is evaluated. TEM analysis reveals that Pt crystallites are not perfect cubooctahedrons, and that large particles have "rougher" surfaces than small particles, which have some fairly smooth (111) facets. The importance of "defect" sites for the catalytic properties of nanoparticles is probed in IRAS experiments by monitoring how the vibrational frequencies of atop CO (nu(CO)) as well as the concomitant development of dissolved CO(2) are affected by the number of defects on the Pt nanoparticles. It is found that defects play a significant role in CO "clustering"on nanoparticles, causing CO to decrease/increase in local coverage, which yields to anomalous redshift/blueshift nu(CO) frequency deviations from the normal Stark-tuning behavior. The observed deviations are accompanied by CO(2) production, which increases by increasing the number of defects on the nanoparticles, that is, 1 < or = 2 < 5 < 30 nm. We suggest that the catalytic activity for CO adlayer oxidation is predominantly influenced by the ability of the surface to dissociate water and to form OH(ad) on defect sites rather than by CO energetics. These results are complemented by chronoamperometric and rotating disk electrode (RDE) data. In contrast to CO stripping experiments, we found that in the backsweep of CO bulk oxidation, the activity increases with decreasing particle size, that is, with increasing oxophilicity of the particles.     

Water adsorption on a p(2x2)-Ni(111)-O surface studied by surface x-ray diffraction and infrared reflection absorption spectroscopy at 25 and 140 K

The adsorption of water molecules on an oxygen-predosed p(2x2)-Ni(111)-O surface was studied by surface x-ray diffraction and infrared reflection absorption spectroscopy (IRAS) at temperature of 25 and 140 K. Precise structures including adsorbed water, predosed oxygen, and substrate nickel atoms at these two temperatures were determined by x-ray structural analysis. It was found that water molecules adsorb on oxygen additive sites, forming a hydrogen bond at 25 K. A predosed 2x2 oxygen atom appears to accommodate one, two, or three water molecules at positions relating to threefold rotation symmetry. When the surface temperature was raised to 140 K, water molecules appear at an atop site of Ni. The distance between Ni and the oxygen atoms of a monomer water molecule was found to be 0.2241(22) nm. The adsorbed water molecule induces buckling and a lateral shift of the substrate nickel. The IRAS results provided evidence regarding the existence of two distinct adsorption sites. Water molecules in the low-temperature phase exhibit bands from both hydrogen-bonded nuOD and free OD stretchings, while those in the high-temperature phase lie flat with a molecular plane parallel to the surface.     

Structural study of NO adsorbed on the reconstructed Pt(110)-(1 x 2) surface with X-ray photoelectron diffraction and near-edge X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy

The adsorption structure of NO on the reconstructed Pt(110)-(1 x 2) surface was studied with X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), X-ray photoelectron diffraction (XPD), low-energy scanned-angle photoelectron diffraction (LESA-PD), and near-edge X-ray absorption fine structure (NEXAFS) spectroscopy. The experiments were performed at 180 K, where no surface lifting from (1 x 2) to (1 x 1) takes place after NO adsorption. XPS indicates that the (1 x 2) unit cell of the Pt(110) surface contains 1.5 NO molecules at the saturated coverage. XPD and LESA-PD analyses allow us to propose a structural model for the NO adlayer, where two-thirds of the NO molecules in the (1 x 2) unit cell are adsorbed on the atop site of the close-packed Pt rows (ridges) along the [10] direction with an inclined geometry and one-third of the NO molecules adsorb on the bridge site between the Pt ridges with an upright configuration. This model is supported by the N K-edge NEXAFS experiments and is consistent with the recently reported model based on the density functional theory (Orita, H.; Nakamura, I.; Fujitani, T. J. Phys. Chem. B 2005, 109, 10312).     

Initial growth of the water layer on (1 x 1)-oxygen-covered Ru(0001) in comparison with that on bare Ru(0001)

The initial growth of a water (D2O) layer on (1 x 1)-oxygen-covered Ru(0001) has been studied in comparison with that on bare Ru(0001) by means of temperature-programmed desorption (TPD) and infrared reflection absorption spectroscopy (IRAS). Although water molecules adsorbed on both bare and (1 x 1)-oxygen-covered Ru(0001) commonly tend to form hydrogen bonds with each other when mobility occurs upon heating, the TPD and IRAS measurements for the two surfaces exhibit distinct differences. On (1 x 1)-oxygen-covered Ru(0001), most of the D2O molecules were desorbed with a peak at 160 K, even at submonolayer coverage, as condensed water desorption. The vibration spectra of adsorbed D2O also showed broad peaks such as a condensed water phase, from the beginning of low coverage. For submonolayer coverage, in addition, we found a characteristic O-D stretching mode at around 2650 cm(-1), which is never clearly observed for D2O on bare Ru(0001). Thus, we propose a distinctive water adsorption structure on (1 x 1)-oxygen-covered Ru(0001) and discuss its influence on water layer growth in comparison with the case of D2O on bare Ru(0001).     

In-situ scanning tunneling microscopy of carbon monoxide adsorbed on Au(111) electrode

In-situ scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) coupled with cyclic voltammetry was used to examine the adsorption of carbon monoxide (CO) molecules on an ordered Au(111) electrode in 0.1 M HClO4. Molecular resolution STM revealed the formation of several commensurate CO adlattices, but the (9 x radical 3) structure eventually prevailed with time. The CO adlayer was completely electrooxidized to CO2 at 0.9 V versus RHE in CO-free 0.1 M HClO(4), as indicated by a broad and irreversible anodic peak which appeared at this potential in a positive potential sweep from 0.05 to 1.6 V. A maximal coverage of 0.3 was estimated for CO admolecules from the amount of charge involved in this feature. Real-time in-situ STM imaging allowed direct visualization of the adsorption process of CO on Au(111) at 0.1 V, showing the lifting of (radical 3 x 22) reconstruction of Au(111) and the formation of ordered CO adlattices. The (9 x radical 3) structure observed in CO-saturated perchloric acid has a coverage of 0.28, which is approximately equal to that determined from coulometry. Switching the potential from 0.1 to -0.1 V restored the reconstructed Au(111) with no change in the (9 x radical 3)-CO adlattice. However, the reconstructed Au(111) featured a pairwise corrugation pattern with two nearest pairs separated by 74 +/- 1 A, corresponding to a 14% increase from the ideal value of 65.6 A known for the ( radical 3 x 22) reconstruction. Molecular resolution STM further revealed that protrusions resulting from CO admolecules in the (9 x radical 3) structure exhibited distinctly different corrugation heights, suggesting that the CO molecules resided at different sites on Au(111). This ordered structure predominated in the potential range between 0.1 and 0.7 V; however, it was converted into new structures of (7 x radical 7) and ( radical 43 x 2 radical 13) on the unreconstructed Au(111) when the potential was held at 0.8 V for ca. 60 min. The coverage of CO adlayer decreased accordingly from 0.28 to 0.13 before it was completely removed from the Au(111) surface at more positive potentials.     

Carbon monoxide adsorption and oxidation on monolayer films of cubic platinum nanoparticles investigated by infrared-visible sum frequency generation vibrational spectroscopy

The adsorption and oxidation of CO on monolayer films of cubic Pt nanoparticles synthesized by a modified solution-phase polyol process were examined by sum frequency generation (SFG) vibrational spectroscopy in total internal reflection (TIR) geometry. Extremely low incident laser power (approximately 5 microJ/pulse of infrared) yields sufficient SFG intensity in TIR geometry and reduces destructive interference. Because TIR-SFG spectroscopy does not require correction for bulk gas absorption, CO spectra can be collected over a wide pressure range (<1 mTorr up to 700 Torr). Poly(vinylpyrrolidone)-capped Pt nanoparticles deposited on single-crystal sapphire were monitored under high-pressure reaction conditions in a combined spectroscopy-catalytic reactor cell. The effect of the capping polymer on the position and intensity of the CO peak was studied before and after low-temperature calcination. The polymer decreased the amount of CO adsorption and caused a slight red-shift of the atop CO band relative to a surface treated in oxygen at 373 K. Oxidation rates were determined by measuring the intensity of the atop CO peak as a function of time in the presence of flowing oxygen. The activation energy (approximately 19.8 kcal/mol) determined from the SFG data is close to that obtained from gas chromatography (GC) measurements of CO oxidation rates at different temperatures. The SFG and GC results are in good agreement with published data for Pt(100) surfaces.     

CO oxidation on nanostructured SnO(x)/Pt(111) surfaces: unique properties of reduced SnO(x)

We have investigated surface CO oxidation on "inverse catalysts" composed of SnO(x) nanostructures supported on Pt(111) using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), low-energy ion scattering spectroscopy (LEISS) and temperature-programmed desorption (TPD). Nanostructures of SnO(x) were prepared by depositing Sn on Pt(111) pre-covered by NO(2) layers at low temperatures. XPS data show that the SnO(x) nanoparticles are highly reduced with Sn(II)O being the dominant oxide species, but the relative concentration of Sn(II) in the SnO(x) nanoparticles decreases with increasing Sn coverage. We find that the most active SnO(x)/Pt(111) surface for CO oxidation has smallest SnO(x) coverage. Increasing the surface coverage of SnO(x) reduces CO oxidation activity and eventually suppresses it altogether. The study suggests that reduced Sn(II)O, rather than Sn(IV)O(2), is responsible for surface CO oxidation. The occurrence of a non-CO oxidation reaction path involving reduced Sn(II)O species at higher SnO(x) coverages accounts for the decreased CO oxidation activity. From these results, we conclude that the efficacy of CO oxidation is strongly dependent on the availability of reduced tin oxide sites at the Pt-SnO(x) interface, as well as unique chemical properties of the SnO(x) nanoparticles.     

Structures of a CO adlayer on a Pt(100) electrode in HClO4 solution studied by in situ STM

We have obtained the first in situ STM atomic images of a CO adlayer on a Pt(100)-(1 x 1) electrode in 0.1 M HClO(4) solution, exhibiting a phase transition from c(6 x 2)-10CO to c(4 x 2)-6CO at E > 0.3 V vs. RHE.     

Hierarchical self-assembly of designed 2 x 2-alpha-helix bundle proteins on Au(111) surfaces

Self-assembled monolayers of biomolecules on atomically planar surfaces offer the prospect of complex combinations of controlled properties, e.g., for bioelectronics. We have prepared a novel hemi-4-alpha-helix bundle protein by attaching two alpha-helical peptides to a cyclo-dithiothreitol (cyclo-DTT) template. The protein was de novo designed to self-assemble in solution to form a 4-alpha-helix bundle, whereas the disulfide moiety enables the formation of a self-assembled monolayer on a Au(111) surface by opening of the disulfide, thus giving rise to a two-step self-assembly process. The 2 x 2-alpha-helix bundle protein and its template were studied by X-ray photo electron spectroscopy (XPS), electrochemical methods, and electrochemical in situ scanning tunneling microscopy (in situ STM). XPS showed that the cyclo-DTT opens on adsorption to a gold surface with the integrity of the 2 x 2-alpha-helix bundle proteins retained. The surface properties of the DTT and 2 x 2-alpha-helix bundle protein adlayer were characterized by interfacial capacitance and impedance techniques. Reductive desorption was used to determine the coverage of the adlayers, giving values of 65 and 16 muC cm(-2) for DTT and 2 x 2-helix, respectively. The 2 x 2-alpha-helix bundle protein adlayers were imaged by in situ STM. The images indicated a dense monolayer according with the voltammetric data. No long-range order could be detected, but two clearly distinct STM contrasts were assigned to 2 x 2-alpha-helix bundle protein molecules oriented in parallel and antiparallel conformations. The template molecule DTT alone forms highly ordered 30-40 nm domains, giving an adlayer density which agreed well with the coverage determined by voltammetry. This could be exploited in STM imaging of mixed DTT/2 x 2-alpha-helix bundle protein monolayers, with clearly distinct STM patterns of the two components.     

Examination of glass transitions in CO(2)-processed, peracetylated sugars using sum frequency generation spectroscopy

The present study utilizes vibrational sum frequency generation (SFG) spectroscopy to study changes in the surface crystallinity of various peracetylated sugars, a class of materials that have a high affinity for carbon dioxide (CO(2)). Studies of the solid-air interface of acetylated beta-cyclodextrin (Ac-beta-CD) and sucrose octaacetate (SOA) show that diffuse reflectance SFG spectroscopy is sensitive to changes in crystallinity from processing with either heat or solvation in CO(2), due to the loss of signal after glassification occurs. beta-d-Glucose pentaacetate (Ac-beta-GLC) was used as a control for this experiment due to the fact that it does not undergo a crystalline phase transition, regardless of processing conditions. The crystalline to amorpohous transitions of these bulk materials were verified using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) as a function of thermal and CO(2) processing. In addition, preliminary results suggest that the SFG technique is sensitive in detecting the degree of crystallinity at the interface as a result of incomplete processing and presents new opportunities for the examination and detection of surface crystallinity changes.     

Adsorbate-geometry specific subsurface relaxation in the CO/Pt(111) system

A dramatic multilayer substrate relaxation is observed for the (square root 19 x square root 19)-13CO adlayer phase on a Pt(111) electrode by surface X-ray scattering. Within the (square root 19 x square root 19) unit cell, a vertical expansion of 0.28 A was determined for the Pt atoms under near-top-site CO molecules, whereas only 0.04 A was found under near-bridge-site CO molecules. The lateral displacements involve small rotations toward more symmetric bonding. Both the expansions and rotations extend into the bulk with a decay length of 1.8 Pt layers. This nonuniform layer expansion, hitherto unseen, appears to be a manifestation of the differential stress induced by CO adsorption at different sites.     

Electrochemical scanning tunneling microscopic observation of the preoxidation process of CO on Pt(111) electrode surface

Presented are sequential images of CO on Pt(111), observed with electrochemical scanning tunneling microscopy, during its electrochemical preoxidation process. In the course of the well-known phase transition from the (2 x 2)-3CO-alpha structure to the (radical 19 x radical 19)R23.4 degrees-13CO structure, various structures were observed: (2 x 2)-3CO-beta (Chem. Comm. 2006, 2191-2193), (1 x 1)-CO, and (radical 13 x radical 13)R46.1 degrees-9CO. Based on an analysis of the populations of the structures averaged over imaging time and imaged location at the preoxidation potential range (0-0.25 V vs Ag/AgCl), the structures of CO domains changed sequentially in the order of (2 x 2)-3CO-alpha, (2 x 2)-3CO-beta, (1 x 1)-CO, (radical 13 x radical 13)R46.1 degrees-9CO, and (radical 19 x radical 19)R23.4 degrees-13CO as the potential shifted from 0 to 0.25 V. Such a sequential structural change demonstrates that the structures of (2 x 2)-3CO-beta, (1 x 1)-CO, and (radical 13 x radical 13)R46.1 degrees-9CO are transient ones during the preoxidation of CO on Pt(111). Discussed are the transient structures in terms of various aspects, such as the absence of CO in solution and the origin of compressed structures.     

Water dissociation associated with NO2 coadsorption on Mo(110)-(1 x 6)-O: effect of coverage and electronic properties of oxygen

Water dissociation on an oxygen-covered Mo(110) surface was investigated using temperature-programmed reaction spectroscopy (TPRS) and infrared reflectance absorbance spectroscopy (IRAS). Adsorbed hydroxyl formation is enhanced by increasing the coverage of chemisorbed oxygen prior to exposure to water up to saturation (0.66 ML). Additional oxidation of the surface using NO(2) suppresses the formation of hydroxyl species (OH). There is no detectable change in the reaction of NO(2) on Mo(110)-(1 x 6)-O when either the water or hydroxyl is adsorbed on the Mo(110)-(1 x 6)-O surface prior to NO(2) adsorption. In contrast, NO(2) induces the displacement of water into the gas phase and the conversion of hydroxyl species to molecular water. Infrared spectra show that the dissociation of NO(2) populates three types of terminal oxygen sites on Mo(110)-(1 x 6)-O, and the population of the terminal oxygen at step sites increases with respect to the amount of NO(2) deposited. Overall, these results suggest that the oxidic property of oxygen results in a lack of activity for the water dissociation.     

The role of water in synthesised hydrotalcites of formula Mg(x)Zn(6 - x)Cr2(OH)16(CO3) x 4H2O and Ni(x)Co(6 - x)Cr2(OH)16(CO3) x 4H2O--an infrared spectroscopic study

Infrared spectroscopy has been used to characterise synthesised hydrotalcites of formula Mg(x)Zn(6 - x)Cr2(OH)16(CO3) x 4H2O and Ni(x)Co(6 - x)Cr2(OH)16(CO3) x 4H2O. The infrared spectra are conveniently subdivided into spectral features based (a) upon the carbonate anion (b) the hydroxyl units (c) water units. Three carbonate antisymmetric stretching vibrations are observed at around 1358, 1387 and 1482 cm(-1). The 1482 cm(-1) band is attributed to the CO stretching band of carbonate hydrogen bonded to water. Variation of the intensity ratio of the 1358 and 1387 cm(-1) modes is linear and cation dependent. By using the water bending band profile at 1630 cm(-1) four types of water are identified (a) water hydrogen bonded to the interlayer carbonate ion (b) water hydrogen bonded to the hydrotalcite hydroxyl surface (c) coordinated water and (d) interlamellar water. It is proposed that the water is highly structured in the hydrotalcite interlayer as it is hydrogen bonded to both the carbonate anion, adjacent water molecules and the hydroxyl surface.