Adsorption and Dissociation of Methanol on Pd(111), Pd/Au(111) and Pd/Rh(111) Surfaces

The adsorption and dissociation behaviors of methanol on Pd(111), Pd/Au(111) and Pd/Rh(111) surfaces were studied using a periodical slab model and the PW91 generalized gradient approximation(GGA) within the framework of first-principles calculations based on density functional theory(DFT). The adsorption energy and geometric parameters for the three surfaces showed that methanol is preferentially adsorbed onto the top-Pd sites and that the adsorption energy of methanol on these surfaces decreases in the order Pd/Au(111) Pd/Rh(111) Pd(111). After adsorption, the C–O, C–H and O–H bonds in methanol adsorbed onto these surfaces are elongated and the vibrational stretching frequency of the O–H bond is obviously redshifted. Furthermore, the first step for the possible dissociation pathway for methanol on these surfaces was calculated. Our results indicate that the O–H bond in methanol decomposes producing methoxy and a hydrogen atom, with the Pd/Au(111) surface exhibiting the smallest dissociation barrier.     

Formation, atomic distribution and mixing energy in two-dimensional Pd(x)Ag(1-x) surface alloys on Pd(111)

The formation and atom distribution in two-dimensional Pd(x)Ag(1-x)/Pd(111) monolayer surface alloys were studied by high resolution scanning tunnelling microscopy (STM) with chemical contrast. From short-range order (SRO) parameters, we calculate preferences for like or unlike nearest neighbours to elucidate the mixing behaviour of the two components for various sub monolayer Ag surface contents. In the regime of low Ag surface contents (<40% Ag), the system shows a weak tendency towards phase separation, high Ag coverages (>60% Ag) result in a disperse distribution of the atoms in the surface. Effective pair interactions (EPIs) were derived by comparing the measured distribution with distributions obtained using Monte Carlo (MC) simulations. From the EPIs, we derived a function for the mixing energy, which can describe the change from clustering to a disperse distribution. The effects of the resulting surface atom distributions and of the Ag coverage dependent surface mixing/demixing on catalytic reactions are discussed.     

Chiral recognition of PVBA on Pd(111) and Ag(111) surfaces

An asymmetric planar molecule, 4-trans-2-(pyrid-4-yl-vinyl) benzoic acid (PVBA), has been used to establish the organic chiral recognition on fcc(111) metal surfaces. The strong correlation between the orientation and chiral recognition of PVBA on both Ag(111) and Pd(111) guides the choice of a model potential, which determines the relative binding energy of PVBA on fcc(111). An angle-dependent calculation of relative binding energy reproduces the experimental observation of the chiral recognition of PVBA on Ag(111) but not on Pd(111).     

甲烷在清洁Pd(111)及氧改性的Pd(111)表面解离的密度泛函理论研究

 采用广义梯度近似 (GGA) 的密度泛函理论 (DFT) 并结合平板模型, 研究了 CH4 在清洁 Pd(111) 及 O 改性的 Pd(111) 表面发生 C朒 键断裂的反应历程. 优化了裂解过程中反应物、过渡态和产物的几何构型, 获得了反应路径上各物种的吸附能及反应的活化能. 结果表明, CH4 采用一个 H 原子指向表面的构型在 Pd(111) 表面的顶位吸附, CH3 的最稳定的吸附位置为顶位, OH, O 和 H 的最稳定吸附位置均为面心立方. CH4 在清洁 Pd(111) 表面裂解的活化能为 0.97 eV, 低于它在 O 原子改性 (O 没有参与反应) 的 Pd(111) 表面的活化能 1.42 eV, 说明表面氧原子抑制了 CH4 中 C朒 键的断裂. 当亚表面 O 原子和表面 O 原子 (O 参与反应) 共同存在时, C朒 键断裂的活化能为 0.72 eV, 低于只有表层氧存在时的活化能 (1.43 eV), 说明亚表面的 O 原子对 CH4 分子的活化具有促进作用. CH4 在 O 原子改性的 Pd(111) 表面裂解生成 CH3 和 H, 以及生成 CH3 和 OH 的反应活化能分别为 1.42 和 1.43 eV, 说明 CH4 在 O 原子改性的 Pd(111) 表面发生这两种反应的难易程度相当.     

Crystal structure of poly(ethylene-oxide) supramolecular assemblies

The formation of poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) supramolecular complexes is discussed in terms of intermolecular interactions and molecular packing. On the basis of the different known crystal structures, several mechanisms are proposed. First, the PEO complexes can be formed by an Intercalation or Inclusion process, guest molecules diffusing into the PEO unit cell. On the other hand, molecular complexes based on hydrogen bonding cannot be obtained by such a way, their formation requires the complete removal of the initial PEO structure either by melting or dissolution. Finally the relations between the crystal lamellar morphology, the host-guest interactions and the PEO chain mobility are discussed.     

Bimolecular networks and supramolecular traps on Au(111)

We demonstrate the formation of intermixed phases and self assembled molecular templates on the Au(111) surface. The templates are stabilized by hydrogen bonding between melamine molecules with trigonal symmetry and linear PTCDI (perylene tetra-carboxylic di-imide) molecules. When annealed, these molecules spontaneously form either a chiral intermixed phase or a honeycomb arrangement in which vertexes and edges correspond respectively to melamine and PTCDI molecules. We also observe minority phases with more complex intermolecular junctions. The use of these networks as templates is demonstrated by the controlled capture of fullerenes within the pores of the network to form dimers, hexamers, and heptamers. Our results confirm that bimolecular templates can be realized on a range of substrates.     

Transition metal ion directed supramolecular assembly of one- and two-dimensional polyrotaxanes incorporating cucurbituril

This paper reports a synthetic strategy to construct one- and two-dimensional (1D and 2D) polyrotaxanes, in which a number of rings are threaded onto a coordination polymer, by the combination of self-assembly and coordination chemistry. Our approach to construct polyrotaxanes with high structural regularity involves threading a cucurbituril (CB) "bead" with a short "string" to form a stable pseudorotaxane, followed by linking the pseudorotaxanes with metal ions as "linkers" to organize into a 1D or 2D polyrotaxane. A 4- or 3-pyridylmethyl group is attached to each end of 1,4-diaminobutane or 1,5-diaminopentane to produce the short "strings", which then react with the cucurbituril "bead" to form stable pseudorotaxanes. The reaction of the pseudorotaxanes with various transition metal ions including CuII, CoII, NiII, AgI, and CdII produces 1D or 2D polyrotaxanes, in which many molecular "beads" are threaded onto 1D or 2D coordination polymers as confirmed by X-ray crystallography. The overall structure of a polyrotaxane is the result of interplay among various factors that include the coordination preferences of the metal ion, spatial disposition of the donor atoms with respect to the CB beads in the pseudorotaxane, and the size and coordination ability of the counteranion.     

Decomposition of 1,1-dichloroethene on Pd(111)

The decomposition of 1,1-dichloroethene on Pd(111) is investigated using conventional thermal desorption, laser-induced thermal desorption (LITD), and FT reflection absorption infrared spectroscopy (FT-RAIRS). The decomposition mechanism produces at least three hydrocarbon surface intermediates, including ethylidyne. Thermal desorption results differ between high and low coverages because of relative surface concentrations of Cl and H in combination with kinetic effects.     

DFT Study of Thiophene Adsorption on the Pd（111） and Pt（111） Surfaces

Thiophene adsorption on the(111) surfaces of Pd and Pt have been investigated by density functional theory.The results indicate that the adsorption at the hollow sites is the most stable.To our interest,the molecular plane of thiophene ring is distorted with C=C bond being elongated to 1.450  and C-C bond being shortened to 1.347 ,and the C-H bonds tilt 13.91～44.05o away from this plane.Furthermore,analysis on population and density of states verified the calculated adsorption geometries.Finally,charge analysis suggests that thiophene molecule is an electron acceptor,reflecting the interaction between the lone pair of sulfur and the d-orbitals of metal.     

Activation in prochiral reaction assemblies on Pt(111)

Trifluoroacetophenone (TFAP) forms C O...H-C bonded dimers and trimers at room temperature on Pt(111). It is proposed that these systems mimic the prochiral carbonyl-chiral modifier interaction in the enantioselective hydrogenation of TFAP on cinchona-modified Pt catalysts. That is, the activation of TFAP in homomolecular assemblies at racemic sites is expected to be roughly the same as in the diastereomeric complex formed at chiral sites. This interpretation suggests a reason why alpha-phenyl ketones do not display a strong measured rate enhancement effect in the Orito reaction.     

The direct observation of 2H‐DPP metalation on Pd(111) and Cu/Pd(111) surface

The metalation behaviors of 5,15‐diphenylporphyrin (2H‐DPP) on Pd(111) and Cu/Pd(111) have been investigated using scanning tunneling microscopy and density functional calculations. We show that 2H‐DPP molecules deposited on Pd(111) surface form Pd‐DPP with a proportion of about 75% already at room temperature (RT). This is in contrast to non‐metalation adsorption of 2H‐DPP on Cu–Pd alloy at RT. Annealing to 323 K facilitates the metalation of 2H‐DPP on Cu–Pd alloy island. The comparison of the results indicates that the metalation of 2H‐DPP calls for both enough surface free energy of approaching N? H bond and enough reactivity of breaking N? H bond. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Layer-by-layer growth of thin amorphous solid water films on Pt(111) and Pd(111)

The growth of amorphous solid water (ASW) films on Pt(111) is investigated using rare gas (e.g., Kr) physisorption. Temperature programmed desorption of Kr is sensitive to the structure of thin water films and can be used to assess the growth modes of these films. At all temperatures that are experimentally accessible (20-155 K), the first layer of water wets Pt(111). Over a wide temperature range (20-120 K), ASW films wet the substrate and grow approximately layer by layer for at least the first three layers. In contrast to the ASW films, crystalline ice films do not wet the water monolayer on Pt(111). Virtually identical results were obtained for ASW films on epitaxial Pd(111) films grown on Pt(111). The desorption rates of thin ASW and crystalline ice films suggest that the relative free energies of the films are responsible for the different growth modes. However, at low temperatures, surface relaxation or "transient mobility" is primarily responsible for the relative smoothness of the films. A simple model of the surface relaxation semiquantitatively accounts for the observations.     

NO Chemisorption on Pt(111), Rh/Pt(111), and Pd/Pt(111)

The chemisorption of NO on clean Pt(111), Rh/Pt(111) alloy, and Pd/Pt(111) alloy surfaces has been studied by first principles density functional theory (DFT) computations. It was found that the surface compositions of the surface alloys have very different effects on the adsorption of NO on Rh/Pt(111) versus that on Pd/Pt(111). This is due to the different bond strength between the two metals in each alloy system. A complex d-band center weighting model developed by authors in a previous study for SO2 adsorption is demonstrated to be necessary for quantifying NO adsorption on Pd/Pt(111). A strong linear relationship between the weighted positions of the d states of the surfaces and the molecular NO adsorption energies shows the closer the weighted d-band center is shifted to the Fermi energy level, the stronger the adsorption of NO will be. The consequences of this study for the optimized design of three-way automotive catalysts, (TWC) are also discussed.     

Infrared reflection absorption spectroscopy of the sulfuric acid anion adsorbed on Pd(S)-[n(111) x (111)] electrodes

Adsorption of the sulfuric acid anion (HSO4- or SO42-) has been studied on Pd(S)-[n(111) x (111)] electrodes (n = 2, 3, 5, 9, 20, infinity) using in situ infrared reflection absorption spectroscopy (IRAS). A single band is observed around 1200 cm(-1) on all the electrodes. The band is assigned to the SO stretching vibration of the sulfuric acid anion adsorbed with three- or onefold geometry. This result differs from the case of Pt-stepped surfaces on which two IRAS bands are observed around 1200 and 1100 cm(-1). The maximum coverage of the sulfuric acid anion is enhanced with the increase of the terrace width. The surfaces with n more than 3 have similar IRAS band shifts (dv/dE). Pd-stepped surfaces, for which the terrace is wide enough for the anion adsorption, adsorb the anion on the terrace rather than the step.     

Coexistence of multiple conformations in cysteamine monolayers on Au(111)

The structural organization, catalytic function, and electronic properties of cysteamine monolayers on Au(111) have been addressed comprehensively by voltammetry, in situ scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) in anaerobic environment, and a priori molecular dynamics (MD) simulation and STM image simulation. Two sets of voltammetric signals are observed. One peak at -(0.65-0.70) V (SCE) is caused by reductive desorption of cysteamine. The other signal, at -(0.25-0.40) V consists of a peak doublet. The pH dependence of the latter suggests that the origin is catalytic dihydrogen evolution. The doublet feature is indicative of two distinct cysteamine configurations. Cysteamine monolayer formation from initial nucleation to a highly ordered phase has been successfully observed in real time using oxygen-free in situ STM. Random cellular patterns, disordered adlayer formation accompanied by high step edge mobility, and ultimately a highly ordered (square root 3 x 4) R30 degrees lattice are observed sequentially. Pits are formed due to enclosure of the mobile edges during the adsorption process. In the highly ordered cysteamine layer, each unit has two spots with apparent 0.6 A height difference in STM images. The coverage 5.7 +/- 0.1 x 10(-10) mol cm(-2) determined by voltammetry supports that the spots represent two individual cysteamine molecules. A priori MD and density functional simulations hold other clues to the image interpretation and indicate that the NH(3)(+) groups dominate the tunneling contrast. A wide range of interface structures, showing variations in the sulfur binding site and orientation, gauche and trans conformers, and especially hydrogen-bonding interactions, are examined, from which it is concluded that the adsorbate structure is controlled by interactions with the solvent rather than with the substrate.     

First-principles study of K and Cs adsorbed on Pd(111)

The adsorptions of K and Cs on Pd(111) were studied by the density functional calculations within the generalized gradient approximation. The site preference, bonding character, work function, and electron structure of the system were analyzed. For K and Cs adsorption, the hcp hollow site was found to be preferred for all the coverages investigated. The calculated adsorption geometries for (2 x 2) and (square root 3 x square root 3)R30 degrees phases are both in reasonable agreement with the observed results. The decrease of the work function upon the adsorption of K and Cs can be attributed to a dipole moment associated with the polarized adsorbate atom, which is characterized by depletion of the electron charge in the alkali metal layer and a charge accumulation in the interface region. Our results indicate that the bonding of alkali metal with the Pd(111) surface has a mixed ionic and metallic bond character at low coverage and a metallic bond of covalent character at high coverage.     

The structure of furan reaction products on Pd(111)

Previous experimental studies of the interaction of molecular furan, C(4)H(4)O, with Pd(111) have led to the conclusion that partial dissociation leads to two coadsorbed reaction products, CO and a C(3)H(3) species. Using density functional theory (DFT), a range of possible molecular conformation and adsorption sites of the C(3)H(3) species have been explored and the lowest energy structures, and associated C 1s photoelectron core-level binding energy shifts (CLSs), have been determined. Comparison of these CLS values with published experimental measurements allows one possible conformation to be rejected. New simulations of the C 1s scanned-energy mode photoelectron diffraction (PhD) spectra for several of lowest-energy structures found in DFT are compared with the results of an earlier experimental study. The lowest energy structure found in DFT is not consistent with the PhD data, suggesting that energy barriers to achieve the associated conformation cannot be overcome in the dissociation process. Through consideration of the results of both methods, the most probable surface structures are discussed.     

Thermal chemistry of cis-1,2-dichloroethene on Pd(111)

The reaction of cis-1,2-dichloroethene (cis-DCE) on Pd(111) has been investigated by temperature-programmed desorption, laser-induced thermal desorption, Auger electron spectroscopy, and Fourier transform reflection absorption infrared spectroscopy. Below 130 K, molecularcis-DCE aggregates, resulting in only about 30% of the molecules from exposures below saturation significantly interacting with the palladium surface. The decomposition of cis-DCE generates the observable species H2, HCl, and ethylidyne. A fraction of cis-DCE molecules lose both chlorine atoms and add hydrogen to form ethylidyne, which is stable on the surface between 250 and 370 K. Hydrogen is liberated at about 420 K from cis-DCE surface fragments that immediately combine with surface chlorine and desorb as HCl. The most intense HCl desorption occurs at about 575 K and is due to surface chlorine reacting with either subsurface hydrogen or hydrogen from the remaining surface alkyl fragments. No carbon-containing species desorb from the decomposition of cis-DCE.     

Angle-resolved ultraviolet photoemission of pyridine adsorbed on Pd(111)

The valence levels of phridine adsorbed on Ph(111) at room temperature are investigated by angle-resolved UV photoemission using Hel and Hell resonance radiation. The spectra are interpreted in terms of a reduction of the surface molecule symmetry from C_2v to C₈. We suggest that pyridine is adsorbed with its aromatic ring plane tilted wit respect to the surface interaction with the substrate taking place through both N lone-pair and π electrons.     

Adsorption and Decarbonylation Reaction of Furfural on the Pd(111) and M/Pd(111)(M=Ni,Cu and Ru) Surfaces

By performing with density functional theory(DFT) method, the detailed adsorption process and the catalytic decarbonylation mechanisms of furfural over Pd(111) and M/Pd(111)(M = Ni, Cu, Ru) surfaces toward furan were clarified. The results of atomic size factor, formation energy and d-band center showed that Ru/Pd(111) surface was the most stable and active. The adsorption energies of furfural on the different surfaces followed the order Ru/Pd(111) Cu/Pd(111) Pd(111) Ni/Pd(111). After analyzing Mulliken atomic charge population and the deformation density, we can find that on Ru/Pd(111) surface, the number of charge transfer was the most and the interaction was the strongest. Therefore, its adsorption energy was the highest. Furthermore, the furfural decarbonylation pathway is more kinetically feasible on bimetallic surface, and the reaction is the most likely to occur on Ru/Pd(111).