Carbon monoxide adsorption on neutral and cationic vanadium doped gold clusters

The effect of a single vanadium dopant atom on the reactivity of small gold clusters is studied in the gas phase. In particular we investigated carbon monoxide adsorption on vanadium doped gold clusters using a low-pressure collision cell. Employing this technique the reactivity of both neutral and cationic clusters was studied under the same experimental conditions. Analysis of the kinetic data as a function of the pressure in the reaction cell shows that the reaction mechanism is composed of a fast adsorption and a delayed dissociation reaction. It is demonstrated that the reactivity of positively charged Au(n)V(m)(+) (n = 8-30, m = 0-3) is greatly enhanced as compared to the corresponding neutral species and that dissociation rates decrease with decreasing temperatures. While the overall magnitude of the reactivity does not change upon doping with vanadium clusters, the size dependence is significantly affected. The neutral singly vanadium doped gold clusters show a sudden drop after size Au(13)V, followed by a smooth increase, in contrast to the extended odd-even staggering for bare gold clusters. This difference can be explained by changes in the electronic structure of the clusters, related to the partly filled 3d shell of the vanadium dopant atom.     

Size-dependent carbon monoxide adsorption on neutral gold clusters

We report on experiments probing the reactivity of neutral Au(n) clusters, n = 9-68, with carbon monoxide. The gold clusters are produced in a pulsed laser vaporization cluster source, operated at room temperature (RT) or at liquid-nitrogen temperature (LNT), pass through a low-pressure reaction cell containing CO gas, and are subsequently laser ionized. The reaction probabilities are determined by recording mass abundance spectra with time-of-flight mass spectrometry. The main observations are a strong temperature dependence and a remarkable size dependence. Upon cooling of the cluster source to LNT, the reactivity increases substantially. At LNT, the reaction probabilities for Au(n) with the first CO molecule are about a factor 10 higher than at RT. Moreover, adsorption of two, three, and even four CO molecules is observed, in contrast to RT clusters which at most adsorb one CO molecule. This temperature dependence is related to the lifetime of the cluster-molecule complexes, being much longer for cold clusters. The observed striking size dependence is similar at both temperatures and is discussed in terms of the electronic structure effects.     

Gold cluster carbonyls: saturated adsorption of CO on gold cluster cations, vibrational spectroscopy, and implications for their structures

We report on the interaction of carbon monoxide with cationic gold clusters in the gas phase. Successive adsorption of CO molecules on the Au(n)(+) clusters proceeds until a cluster size specific saturation coverage is reached. Structural information for the bare gold clusters is obtained by comparing the saturation stoichiometry with the number of available equivalent sites presented by candidate structures of Au(n)(+). Our findings are in agreement with the planar structures of the Au(n)(+) cluster cations with n < or = 7 that are suggested by ion mobility experiments [Gilb, S.; Weis, P.; Furche, F.; Ahlrichs, R.; Kappes, M. M. J. Chem. Phys. 2001, 116, 4094]. By inference we also establish the structure of the saturated Au(n)(CO)(m)(+) complexes. In certain cases we find evidence suggesting that successive adsorption of CO can distort the metal cluster framework. In addition, the vibrational spectra of the Au(n)(CO)(m)(+) complexes in both the CO stretching region and in the region of the Au-C stretch and the Au-C-O bend are measured using infrared photodepletion spectroscopy. The spectra further aid in the structure determination of Au(n)(+), provide information on the structure of the Au(n)(+)-CO complexes, and can be compared with spectra of CO adsorbates on deposited clusters or surfaces.     

Strongly cluster size dependent reaction behavior of CO with O2 on free silver cluster anions

Reactions of free silver anions Agn- (n = 1 - 13) with O2, CO, and their mixtures are investigated in a temperature controlled radio frequency ion trap setup. Cluster anions Agn- (n = 1 - 11) readily react with molecular oxygen to yield AgnOm- (m = 2, 4, or 6) oxide products. In contrast, no reaction of the silver cluster anions with carbon monoxide is detected. However, if silver cluster anions are exposed to the mixture of O2 and CO, new reaction products and a pronounced, discontinuous size dependence in the reaction behavior is observed. In particular, coadsorption complexes Agn(CO)O2- are detected for cluster sizes with n = 4 and 6 and, the most striking observation, in the case of the larger odd atom number clusters Ag7-, Ag9-, and Ag11-, the oxide product concentration decreases while a reappearance of the bare metal cluster signal is observed. This leads to the conclusion that carbon monoxide reacts with the activated oxygen on these silver clusters and indicates the prevalence of a catalytic reaction cycle.     

Geometric, electronic, and bonding properties of AuNM (N = 1-7, M = Ni, Pd, Pt) clusters

Employing first-principles methods, based on density functional theory, we report the ground state geometric and electronic structures of gold clusters doped with platinum group atoms, Au(N)M (N = 1-7, M = Ni, Pd, Pt). The stability and electronic properties of Ni-doped gold clusters are similar to that of pure gold clusters with an enhancement of bond strength. Due to the strong d-d or s-d interplay between impurities and gold atoms originating in the relativistic effects and unique properties of dopant delocalized s-electrons in Pd- and Pt-doped gold clusters, the dopant atoms markedly change the geometric and electronic properties of gold clusters, and stronger bond energies are found in Pt-doped clusters. The Mulliken populations analysis of impurities and detailed decompositions of bond energies as well as a variety of density of states of the most stable dopant gold clusters are given to understand the different effects of individual dopant atom on bonding and electronic properties of dopant gold clusters. From the electronic properties of dopant gold clusters, the different chemical reactivity toward O(2), CO, or NO molecule is predicted in transition metal-doped gold clusters compared to pure gold clusters.     

Reactions of mixed silver-gold cluster cations AgmAun + (m+n=4,5,6) with CO: radiative association kinetics and density functional theory computations

Near thermal energy reactive collisions of small mixed metal cluster cations Ag(m)Au(n) (+) (m+n=4, 5, and 6) with carbon monoxide have been studied in the room temperature Penning trap of a Fourier transform ion-cyclotron-resonance mass spectrometer as a function of cluster size and composition. The tetrameric species AgAu(3) (+) and Ag(2)Au(2) (+) are found to react dissociatively by way of Au or Ag atom loss, respectively, to form the cluster carbonyl AgAu(2)CO(+). In contrast, measurements on a selection of pentamers and hexamers show that CO is added with absolute rate constants that decrease with increasing silver content. Experimentally determined absolute rate constants for CO adsorption were analyzed using the radiative association kinetics model to obtain cluster cation-CO binding energies ranging from 0.77 to 1.09 eV. High-level ab initio density functional theory (DFT) computations identifying the lowest-energy cluster isomers and the respective CO adsorption energies are in good agreement with the experimental findings clearly showing that CO binds in a "head-on" fashion to a gold atom in the mixed clusters. DFT exploration of reaction pathways in the case of Ag(2)Au(2) (+) suggests that exoergicities are high enough to access the minimum energy products for all reactive clusters probed.     

Cooperative effects in the activation of molecular oxygen by anionic silver clusters

A novel size dependence in the adsorption reaction of multiple O2 molecules onto anionic silver clusters Agn- (n = 1-5) is revealed by gas-phase reaction studies in an rf-ion trap. Ab initio theoretical modeling based on DFT method provides insight into the reaction mechanism and finds cooperative electronic and structural effects to be responsible for the size selective reactivity of Agn- clusters toward one or more O2. In particular, Agn- clusters with odd n have paired electrons and therefore bind one O2 only weakly, but they are simultaneously activated to adsorb a strongly bound second oxygen molecule. For the clusters Ag3O4- and Ag5O4-, this cooperative effect results in a superoxo-like, doubly bound O2 subunit with potentially high activity in catalytic silver cluster oxidation processes.     

Non-covalent Interactions and Charge Transfer between Propene and Neutral Yttrium-Doped and Pure Gold Clusters

The dopant and size-dependent propene adsorption on neutral gold (Au_n) and yttrium-doped gold (Au_n−1Y) clusters in the n=5–15 size range are investigated, combining mass spectrometry and gas phase reactions in a low-pressure collision cell and density functional theory calculations. The adsorption energies, extracted from the experimental data using an RRKM analysis, show a similar size dependence as the quantum chemical results and are in the range of ≈0.6–1.2 eV. Yttrium doping significantly alters the propene adsorption energies for n=5, 12 and 13. Chemical bonding and energy decomposition analysis showed that there is no covalent bond between the cluster and propene, and that charge transfer and other non-covalent interactions are dominant. The natural charges, Wiberg bond indices, and the importance of charge transfer all support an electron donation/back-donation mechanism for the adsorption. Yttrium plays a significant role not only in the propene binding energy, but also in the chemical bonding in the cluster-propene adduct. Propene preferentially binds to yttrium in small clusters (n<10), and to a gold atom at larger sizes. Besides charge transfer, relaxation also plays an important role, illustrating the non-local effect of the yttrium dopant. It is shown that the frontier molecular orbitals of the clusters determine the chemical bonding, in line with the molecular-like electronic structure of metal clusters.     

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.     

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.     

Adsorption of molecular hydrogen and hydrogen sulfide on Au clusters

The authors present theoretical results describing the adsorption of H2 and H2S molecules on small neutral and cationic gold clusters (Au(n)((0/+1)), n=1-8) using density functional theory with the generalized gradient approximation. Lowest energy structures of the gold clusters along with their isomers are considered in the optimization process for molecular adsorption. The adsorption energies of H2S molecule on the cationic clusters are generally greater than those on the corresponding neutral clusters. These are also greater than the H2 adsorption energies on the corresponding cationic and neutral clusters. The adsorption energies for cationic clusters decrease with increasing cluster size. This fact is reflected in the elongations of the Au-S and Au-H bonds indicating weak adsorption as the cluster grows. In most cases, the geometry of the lowest energy gold cluster remains planar even after the adsorption. In addition, the adsorbed molecule gets adjusted such that its center of mass lies on the plane of the gold cluster. Study of the orbital charge density of the gold adsorbed H2S molecule reveals that conduction is possible through molecular orbitals other than the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital level. The dissociation of the cationic Au(n)SH2+ cluster into Au(n)S+ and H2 is preferred over the dissociation into Au(m)SH2+ and Au(n-m), where n=2-8 and m=1-(n-1). H2S adsorbed clusters with odd number of gold atoms are more stable than neighboring even n clusters.     

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.     

Reaction of Cationic Vanadium Oxide Clusters with Ethylene in a Flow Tube Reactor

A time of °ight mass spectrometer coupled with a cluster formation and reaction source is employed to study the reactivity of cationic vanadium oxide clusters (VmOn+) toward ethylene (C2H4) in the gas phase. The cationic vanadium oxide clusters with m=1-10 and n=1-26 (depending on m) are generated by reaction of laser ablation created vanadium plasma with O2 in a supersonic expansion and then reacted with the ethylene in a °ow tube reactor. Hydrogen atoms are attached in most of the oxygen saturated clusters(2n?5m) in our experimental condition. The reactivity of VmOn+ toward C2H4 is usually higher than that of hydrogen containing clusters, VmOnH2x+. Larger clusters show less reactivity than smaller ones. Most of the observed products are in the forms of VmOnC2H4+ and VmOnH2xC2H4+ due to direct association. C2H4 clustering products ((C2H4)n+, n=2-6) are also observed.     

The adsorptions of silver-doped small gold clusters toward carbon monoxide molecule

An all-electron scalar relativistic calculation on Au _n AgCO (n = 1–12) clusters has been performed using density functional theory with the generalized gradient approximation at PW91 level. The introduction of impurity silver weakens the adsorption, and, however, promotes the reactivity enhancement of CO molecule. The CO molecule is relatively more favorable to be adsorbed by the odd-numbered Au _n Ag clusters with closed-shell electronic structure. The values of chemical hardness indicate that the Au _n AgCO cluster is less stable than the corresponding Au _n+1CO cluster chemically. This picture of the influence of impurity silver on the adsorption behavior of Au _n Ag (n = 1–12) clusters toward CO molecule is consistent with previous experimental work (Haeck et al. in J Phys Chem A 115:2103, 2011), in which the cluster’s reaction probability toward CO molecule is reduced upon substitution of gold atoms for silver and the clusters with closed electronic shell are the most reactive toward CO molecule.     

Density functional study of the interaction of carbon monoxide with small neutral and charged silver clusters

CO adsorption on small neutral, anionic, and cationic silver clusters Ag(n) (n = 1-7) has been studied with use of the PW91PW91 density functional theory (DFT) method. The adsorption of CO on-top site, among various possible sites, is energetically preferred irrespective of the charge state of the silver cluster. The cationic silver clusters generally have a greater tendency to adsorb CO than the anionic and neutral silver ones, except for n = 3 and 4, and the binding energies reach a local minimum at n = 5. The binding energies on the neutral clusters, instead, reach a local maximum at n = 3, which is about 0.87 eV, probably large enough to be captured in the experiments. Binding of CO to the silver clusters is generally weaker than that to the copper and gold counterparts at the same size and charge state. This is due to the weaker orbital interaction between silver and CO, which is caused by the larger atomic radius of the silver atom. In contrast, Au atoms with a larger nuclear charge but a similar atomic radius to silver owing to the lanthanide contraction are able to have a stronger interaction with CO.     

铝原子簇上化学吸附的尺度效应及其理论模型

对铝原子簇Al_n(n=1～10,12,13)已报导过的理论预测几何构型进行合理选择, 用量子化学CNDO/2法研究了单分子一氧化碳在这些簇上取不同吸附位形时的吸附作用。结果表明吸附强度随簇尺度的变化呈“幻数”特性: Al_2、Al_6、Al_(12)簇具有特别高的吸附能, 与实验观测结果相符。采用作者建议的推广电子壳模型可合理解释这一尺度效应。对Al_(12)和Al_(13)簇电子结构的分析进一步支持了壳模型的观点。随着簇的增大, 尺度效应逐步减弱并趋向于体相铝的性质。     

金镍二元团簇结构和电子性质的理论研究

在UBP86/LANL2DZ和UBP86/def2-TZVP水平下详细研究了AumNin (m＋n≤6)团簇的几何结构和电子性质. 详细地分析了团簇的结构特征, 平均结合能, 垂直电离势, 垂直电子亲和能, 电荷转移以及成键特征. 所有混合团簇中, 镍原子趋于聚集到一起, 形成最多Ni—Ni键, 金原子分布在镍原子聚集体周围以形成最多Au—Ni键. Ni原子较少团簇的电子性质与纯金团簇类似, 呈现一定奇偶振荡. 混合团簇中存在镍到金原子间的电荷转移. Ni原子较少团簇中, 自旋电子主要定域在Ni原子上, Ni原子较多团簇中, Au原子明显受到自旋极化. 混合团簇的分波态密度表明, AuNi混合团簇对小分子的反应活性要高于纯金团簇.     

Structural, energetic, and vibrational properties of NO(x) adsorption on Ag(n), n = 1-8

The density functional theory is used to explore structural, electronic, and vibrational properties of NO, NO(2), and NO(3) adsorption on small silver clusters, Ag(n), with n =1-8. Generally, NO adsorbs in a top configuration, whereas NO(2) and NO(3) are adsorbed in bridge configuration. NO2 and NO3 introduce pronounced structural relaxations in the clusters. In particular, the transition size from planar to three-dimensional structures is modified. For each cluster size, the adsorption energies follow the trend E(a) (NO) < E(a) (NO(2)) < E(a) (NO(3)). The adsorption energies show a marked odd/even alternation with a stronger bonding to odd clusters. Analysis of the electronic structure reveals an ionic bond mechanism for NO(2) and NO(3). Odd/even effects are also present in vibrational properties of the adsorbed radicals. With respect to the gas phase, the largest shifts are calculated for adsorption on odd clusters. Possible implications of the results for Ag/Al(2)O(3) HC-SCR catalysts are discussed.     

金钯二元小团簇的几何结构与电子性质

在UBP86/LANL2DZ和UB3LYP/def2-TZVP水平下详细研究了AumPdn(m+n≤6)团簇的几何结构和电子性质.阐明了团簇的结构特征、平均结合能、垂直电离势、垂直电子亲和能、电荷转移以及成键特征.除单取代混合团簇(AunPd和AuPdn,n=5或6)外,五和六原子混合团簇中钯原子趋于聚集到一起形成Pdcore,金原子分布在Pdcore周围形成PdcoreAushell结构.含一个和两个钯原子团簇的电子性质与纯金团簇类似,呈现一定奇偶振荡.混合团簇的电子性质,如最高占据分子轨道(HOMO),最低未占据分子轨道(LUMO),垂直电离势,垂直电子亲和能,Fermi能级和化学硬度等均与团簇空间结构和金、钯原子数之比直接相关.混合团簇中存在钯原子到金原子间的电荷转移,表明团簇中存在明显金钯间成键作用.分析团簇的电荷分布、前线轨道和化学硬度表明,金钯混合团簇对小分子如O2、H2和CO等的反应活性要强于纯金团簇.