Models of finely dispersed MgO and V<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>5</Subscript> on silica. Theoretical analysis of optical properties using TDDFT

The results of Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations on optical properties of vanadium complexes VOCl₃, VOCl₄ ^-, VOCl₅ ^2-, as well as the VO₄ ^3- ion, are presented. The spectra of excited states in the range 25000-60000 cm^-1 have been analyzed using the time-dependent DFT method (TDDFT). Spectroscopic features of structural defects (low-coordinated (LC) oxygen ions), as well as surface point defects (F⁺ and F sites) in MgO, have been studied within the cluster approach. The charge-transfer spectra and frequencies of normal vibrations for a number of active site models of finely dispersed oxides MgO and V₂O₅ on silica have been calculated. Comparison of the obtained results with experimental electronic diffuse reflectance spectra and fundamental frequencies confirms a hypothesis about the structure of active centers of finely dispersed oxide V₂O₅ on silica as monomeric forms, (O=V-O _n ).     

Electronic absorption spectra of V2O5

MO calculations of electronic structure and optical transitions for [VO_n]^{5 ?; 2n} (n = 4, 5, 6) clusters in V₂O₅ monocrystals have been carried out by means of the semiempirical CNDO CI method. Using the calculated results, a complete analysis of V₂O₅ optical data as available in the literature and as obtained in the electroreflectivity experiments presented in this paper is performed. An identification of optical transitions in a wide energy range is presented. The optical properties of vanadium pentoxide are shown to be due to the localized charge transfer electronic transitions in the clusters. The fine structure of optical spectra is connected with the covalent splittings of the vanadium 3d and oxygen 2p atomic levels.     

Specifics of adsorption and chemical processes on the surface of gamma-irradiated vanadium dioxide

The effect of γ-irradiation on the electrophysical properties and processes of thermal desorption of water from the surface of vanadium oxides V₂O₃-VO_2?δ-VO_2+δ-V₂O₅ were studied by the thermal analysis and electric conductivity techniques. It was shown that the amount of adsorbed water on the surface and the phase composition of the surface changed under exposure to low doses. The observed effects for vanadium oxides as semiconductors were correlated with analogous processes for alumina as a dielectric. It was found that the surface conductivity in irradiated VO_2?δ samples during the chemical reaction of ethanol with benzoic acid adsorbed after irradiation was substantially higher than that in their unirradiated counterparts. It was assumed that irradiation enhances the metal-semiconductor phase transition on the VO_2?δ surface during the chemical reaction.     

Systematic Exploration of the Synthetic Parameters for the Production of Dynamic VO2(M1)

Thermochromic dynamic cool materials present a reversible change of their properties wherein by increasing the temperature, the reflectance, conductivity, and transmittance change due to a reversible crystalline phase transition. In particular, vanadium (IV) dioxide shows a reversible phase transition, accompanied by a change in optical properties, from monoclinic VO₂(M1) to tetragonal VO₂(R). In this paper, we report on a systematic exploration of the parameters for the synthesis of vanadium dioxide VO₂(M1) via an easy, sustainable, reproducible, fast, scalable, and low-cost hydrothermal route without hazardous chemicals, followed by an annealing treatment. The metastable phase VO₂(B), obtained via a hydrothermal route, was converted into the stable VO₂(M1), which shows a metal–insulator transition (MIT) at 68 °C that is useful for different applications, from energy-efficient smart windows to dynamic concrete. Within this scenario, a further functionalization of the oxide nanostructures with tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS), characterized by an extreme alkaline environment, was carried out to ensure compatibility with the concrete matrix. Structural properties of the synthesized vanadium dioxides were investigated using temperature-dependent X-ray Diffraction analysis (XRD), while compositional and morphological properties were assessed using Scanning Electron Microscopy, Energy Dispersive X-ray Analysis (SEM-EDX), and Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM). Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) analysis was used to investigate the thermal behavior.     

Selective Alkane Oxidation by Manganese Oxide: Site Isolation of MnOx Chains at the Surface of MnWO4 Nanorods

The electronic and structural properties of vanadium‐containing phases govern the formation of isolated active sites at the surface of these catalysts for selective alkane oxidation. This concept is not restricted to vanadium oxide. The deliberate use of hydrothermal techniques can turn the typical combustion catalyst manganese oxide into a selective catalyst for oxidative propane dehydrogenation. Nanostructured, crystalline MnWO₄ serves as the support that stabilizes a defect‐rich MnO_x surface phase. Oxygen defects can be reversibly replenished and depleted at the reaction temperature. Terminating MnO_x zigzag chains on the (010) crystal planes are suspected to bear structurally site‐isolated oxygen defects that account for the unexpectedly good performance of the catalyst in propane activation.     

Accurate Control of VS2 Nanosheets for Coexisting High Photoluminescence and Photothermal Conversion Efficiency

In two‐dimensional (2D) amorphous nanosheets, the electron–phonon coupling triggered by localization of the electronic state as well as multiple‐scattering feature make it exhibit excellent performance in optical science. VS₂ nanosheets, especially single‐layer nanosheets with controllable electronic structure and intrinsic optical properties, have rarely been reported owing to the limited preparation methods. Now, a controllable and feasible switching method is used to fabricate 2D amorphous VS₂ and partial crystallized 2D VO₂(D) nanosheets by altering the pressure and temperature of supercritical CO₂ precisely. Thanks to the strong carrier localization and the quantum confinement, the unique 2D amorphous structures exhibit full band absorption, strong photoluminescence, and outstanding photothermal conversion efficiency.     

Hydroxyl‐Mediated Non‐oxidative Propane Dehydrogenation over VOx/γ‐Al2O3 Catalysts with Improved Stability

Supported vanadium oxides are one of the most promising alternative catalysts for propane dehydrogenation (PDH) and efforts have been made to improve its catalytic performance. However, unlike Pt‐based catalysts, the nature of the active site and surface structure of the supported vanadium catalysts under reductive reaction conditions still remain elusive. This paper describes the surface structure and the important role of surface‐bound hydroxyl groups on VO_x / γ‐Al₂O₃ catalysts under reaction conditions employing in situ DRIFTS experiments and DFT calculations. It is shown that hydroxyl groups on the VO_x /Al₂O₃ catalyst (V?OH) are produced under H₂ pre‐reduction, and the catalytic performance for PDH is closely connected to the concentration of V?OH species on the catalyst. The hydroxyl groups are found to improve the catalyst that leads to better stability by suppressing the coke deposition.     

Optical Properties of Sol-Gel Derived Vanadium Oxide Films

Vanadium oxide gels can be made from vanadate aqueous solutions or from vanadium alkoxides. The condensation of vanadic acid gives long ribbon-like oxide particles which macroscopically orient in the same direction in aqueous sols when their concentration is larger than 0.12 mol·l⁻¹. These anisotropic sols and gels should be considered as lyotropic nematic liquid crystals. Thick films in which ribbons align along the same direction can be deposited. These oriented coatings exhibit improved electrochemical properties as reversible cathodes for lithium batteries. Amorphous oxo-polymers are formed via the controlled hydrolysis of vanadium alkoxides. They allow the deposition of optically transparent thin films that exhibit interesting electrochromic properties and turn reversibly from yellow to green upon electrochemical reduction. Moreover these alkoxide derived films can be easily reduced into vanadium dioxide. These VO₂ thin films exhibit thermochromic properties and could be used as optical switches in the infrared. The transition temperature of these VO₂ films can be modified by doping the vanadium oxide with other cations.     

Preparation and properties of VO2 thin films by a novel sol–gel process

Vanadium dioxide (VO₂) thin films were fabricated using a simple and novel sol–gel process in which V₂O₅ was used as the vanadium source; oxalic acid was used as the reducing agent; and polyvinyl alcohol was used as the film former to control the viscosity of the VO₂ precursor solution and bond vanadium ions. The microstructure and surface morphology of VO₂ films were studied by X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy, respectively. The results showed that using polyvinyl alcohol forms porous nanostructure of VO₂ films with a uniform grain size of ~25 nm. The measured optical reflectance shows well-defined phase transition as observed by an increase of reflectance upon heating above the transition temperature from ~11 to ~30 % at 1,100 nm. Upon cooling, the expected hysteresis is observed.     

Catalytic combustion of chlorobenzene over V2O5/TiO2 catalysts prepared by the precipitation-deposition method

Catalytic combustion of chlorobenzene over supported vanadium oxides has been investigated. TiO₂ was prepared by the sol-gel method from titanium isopropoxide. The supported vanadium oxide catalysts have been prepared by precipitation-deposition and impregnation method and characterized by XRD, FT-Raman and TPR. In the VO_x/TiO₂catalysts prepared using the impregnation method, when vanadium loading reaches 3 wt.%, the activity shows a maximum. However, in the VO_x/TiO₂catalysts prepared by precipitation-deposition, when vanadium loading reaches 7 wt.%, the activity shows a maximum. This result suggests that the precipitation-deposition can yield a higher metal loading on the support and a high dispersion compared to the impregnation method. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Die Kristallstruktur von VO2JO3·2H 2O

The Crystal Structure of VO₂IO₃·2 H₂O VO₂IO₃ possesses a layer structure and crystallizes in the space group P2₁/c with a = 9.848(3) Å, b = 8.l58(2) Å, c = 7.192(2) Å, β = 102.17(2)° and four formula units in the unit cell. The individual layers of the structure consist of highly distorted corner- and edgesharing IO₆, and VO₆, octahedra. Only one oxygen atom is bound terminally at the vanadium, as is shown by the vibrational spectrum, too.     

Syntheses and crystal structures of the first organically templated metal tellurites

The first organically templated vanadium tellurites, [H₂en][(VO₂)(TeO₃)]₂·H₂O (1, en=ethylenediamine) and [H₂pip][(VO₂)(TeO₃)]₂ (2, pip=piperazine) have been synthesized by hydrothermal reactions and structurally characterized. Both compounds feature a [(VO₂)(TeO₃)]⁻ anionic layer containing V₂Te₂ four-member rings and V₄Te₄ eight member rings. The vanadium (V) atom is five coordinated by three tellurite oxygens and two terminal oxygen atoms in a distorted trigonal bipyramidal geometry. The interconnection of the VO₅ polyhedra by bridging tellurite groups leads to a 2D corrugated anionic inorganic layer. The doubly protonated template cations and the lattice water molecules in 1 are located at the interlayer space and are involved in hydrogen bonding. The doubly protonated template cation in 2 is not involved in hydrogen bonding with the anionic inorganic layer.     

Structural and spectroscopic characterization of Mo1−xWxO3−δ mixed oxides

Mo_1−xW_xO₃ oxides with different cationic fraction (x=0.2, 0.5 and 0.8) and, for comparison purposes, pure MoO₃ and WO₃ were prepared. Along with textural and structural characterizations, absorbance FT-IR, diffuse reflectance UV-vis-NIR and EPR spectroscopies were employed to study the changes in the electronic properties of these materials passing from Mo_1−xW_xO₃ in oxidizing atmosphere to Mo_1−xW_xO_3−δ in reducing conditions. XRD analysis showed that the Mo-W mixed oxides are constituted by two or three crystalline phases, whose abundance and composition are well characterized by structural refinement with the Rietveld method. Only the sample with the highest Mo content (x=0.2) shows a predominant mixed phase and also a superior ability to lose oxygen with respect to the other mixed oxides. The oxygen loss in the reduced oxides induces the formation of defects with electronic levels in the band gap of the material, in particular, electrons trapped in oxygen vacancies and/or at cationic sites (polarons). While the nature of defect sites induced in the mixed and in the pure oxides is similar, the photo-ionization energies, the ratio between surface and bulk defects and the stability of the defects in oxygen at increasing temperature are peculiar of each mixed oxide.     

VO3/CeO2(111)催化剂上丙烷氧化脱氢反应活性和选择性的密度泛函理论研究

低碳烯烃一直以来都是化工行业非常重要的基础原料,一般采用烷烃直接热裂解制得,但该方法耗能很大,经济价值有限.近年来,人们开始尝试利用氧化脱氢反应(ODH)方法制备低碳烯烃,并取得了巨大的研究进展,其中稀土氧化物负载钒氧化物催化剂具有良好的低碳烷烃氧化脱氢性能.本文分析了前人对于钒氧化物负载在CeO2表面的计算研究结果,并选取了最具代表性的VO3/CeO2(111)作为烷烃ODH制烯烃的模型催化剂,详细研究了丙烷在该催化剂体系中发生ODH反应机理.通过使用密度泛函理论,对丙烷在VO3/CeO2(111)催化剂上断裂第一根和第二根碳氢键的反应过程进行了理论模拟,并对比了丙烷制丙烯中碳氢键断裂先后的活化能及VO3/CeO2(111)催化剂材料自身的电子性质.结果表明,该催化剂的电子结构在丙烷氧化脱氢反应中扮演关键角色.在丙烷分子断裂第一根碳氢键的反应过程中,会产生两个自由电子,对其电子结构分析发现,其中的一个自由电子会局域在由VO3/CeO2(111)催化剂中五个相关氧原子的2p轨道所形成的新发生局域空轨道(NELS)上,这个独特的新发生局域空轨道只能接受一个电子,另一个电子则会通过丙基在CeO2表面发生吸附将电子传递到CeO2表面的Ce原子上;当丙烷分子进一步发生第二根碳氢键断裂反应时,同样会产生两个新的局域电子,其中一个电子局域在Ce的4f轨道上,此时CeO2表面存在两个局域电子,相互排斥,导致该催化剂上丙烷断裂第二根碳氢键所需的活化能远高于第一根碳氢键.综上,本文对VO3/CeO2(111)催化剂上低碳烷烃ODH反应独特的催化活性和选择性给出了较为细致的分析和解释.     

The nature of transition-metal-oxide surfaces

The surfaces of the 3d-transition-metal oxides form a rich and important system in which to study the effects of atomic geometry, ligand coordination and d-orbital population on surface electronic structure and chemisorption. This article considers the properties of those surfaces in terms of the types of surface structures that can exist, including steps and point defects, and their relation to the experimental data that is available for well characterized, single-crystal surfaces. The electronic structure of nearly perfect surfaces is very similar to that of the bulk for many of the oxides that have been studied; atoms at step sites also appear to have properties similar to those of atoms on terraces. Point defects are often associated with surfaces 0 vacancies and attendant transfer of electrons to adjacent metal cations. Those cations are poorly screened from each other, and the excess charge is presumably shared between two or more cations having reduced ligand coordination. Point defects are generally more active for chemisorption than are perfect surfaces, however for Ti₂O₃ and V₂O₃, whose cations have 3d¹ and 3d² electronic configurations respectively, the cleaved (047) surface is more active than are surfaces having a high density of defects. The chemisorption behavior of both nearly perfect and defect surfaces of 3d-transition-metal oxides varies widely from one material to another, and it is suggestive to correlate this with cation d-orbital population. However, too few oxides have yet been studied to draw any firm conclusions. Additional theoretical work on perfect surfaces, defects and chemisorption is also necessary in order to gain a more complete understanding of transition-metal-oxide surfaces.     

Size‐ and Interface‐Modulated Metal–Insulator Transition in Solution‐Synthesized Nanoscale VO2‐TiO2‐VO2 Heterostructures

The M1 form of vanadium dioxide, which exhibits a reversible insulator–metal transition above room temperature, has been incorporated into nanoscale heterostructures through solution‐phase epitaxial growth on the tips of rutile TiO₂ nanorods. Four distinct classes of VO₂‐TiO₂‐VO₂ nanorod heterostructures are accessible by modulating the growth conditions. Each type of VO₂‐TiO₂‐VO₂ nanostructure has a different insulator–metal transition temperature that depends on the VO₂ domain sizes and the TiO₂‐VO₂ interfacial strain characteristics.     

A BiVO4 Photoanode with a VOx Layer Bearing Oxygen Vacancies Offers Improved Charge Transfer and Oxygen Evolution Kinetics in Photoelectrochemical Water Splitting

Sluggish oxygen evolution kinetics are one of the key limitations of bismuth vanadate (BiVO₄) photoanodes for efficient photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting. To address this issue, we report a vanadium oxide (VO_x) with enriched oxygen vacancies conformally grown on BiVO₄ photoanodes by a simple photo-assisted electrodeposition process. The optimized BiVO₄/VO_x photoanode exhibits a photocurrent density of 6.29 mA cm⁻² at 1.23 V versus the reversible hydrogen electrode under AM 1.5 G illumination, which is ca. 385 % as high as that of its pristine counterpart. A high charge-transfer efficiency of 96 % is achieved and stable PEC water splitting is realized, with a photocurrent retention rate of 88.3 % upon 40 h of testing. The excellent PEC performance is attributed to the presence of oxygen vacancies in VO_x that forms undercoordinated sites, which strengthen the adsorption of water molecules onto the active sites and promote charge transfer during the oxygen evolution reaction. This work demonstrates the potential of vanadium-based catalysts for PEC water oxidation.     

Cluster Models of the VOx/TiO2 Supported Catalyst

Molecular structures of the active vanadium phase of the VO _x /TiO₂ supported catalyst are calculated in the framework of the cluster approximation of density functional theory (DFT). It is shown that vanadium can be stabilized on the anatase (001) surface both in the tetrahedral and octahedral coordinations with the formation of monoxo- and dioxovanadyl structures. The energy of the dioxovanadyl structure binding to the support surface is 600–800 kJ/mol. The formation of dioxovanadyl structures from monoxovanadyl ones with the formation of water molecules is energetically favorable. The effect of support on the electronic state and acidic properties of the supported vanadium phase is discussed.     

Electron–Proton Co‐doping‐Induced Metal–Insulator Transition in VO2 Film via Surface Self‐Assembled l‐Ascorbic Acid Molecules

Charge doping is an effective way to induce the metal–insulator transition (MIT) in correlated materials for many important utilizations, which is however practically limited by problem of low stability. An electron–proton co‐doping mechanism is used to achieve pronounced phase modulation of monoclinic vanadium dioxide (VO₂) at room temperature. Using l ‐ascorbic acid (AA) solution to treat VO₂, the ionized AA^? species donate electrons to the adsorbed VO₂ surface. Charges then electrostatically attract surrounding protons to penetrate, and eventually results in stable hydrogen‐doped metallic VO₂. The variations of electronic structures, especially the electron occupancy of V 3d/O 2p hybrid orbitals, were examined by synchrotron characterizations and first‐principle theoretical simulations. The adsorbed molecules protect hydrogen dopants from escaping out of lattice and thereby stabilize the metallic phase for VO₂.     

Direct Oxidation of Benzene to Phenol by Dioxygen over Nano-vanadium Oxide

Reducing regents, such as ascorbic acid, are needed for vanadium‐containing catalysts to catalyze the direct oxidation of benzene to phenol by dioxygen. Quadrivalent vanadium species, reduced from quinquevalent vanadium species, can activate dioxygen to produce active oxygen species, which is important for the reaction. The key step is to prepare more V⁴⁺‐containing catalysts. Here, VO_X‐C₁₆‐A was prepared in an acidic medium to produce more V⁴⁺ species. The results of XPS and XRD studies confirmed that the vanadium species in VO_X‐C₁₆‐A was mainly V⁴⁺ ions. The results of XRD and electron diffraction patterns revealed that VO_X‐C₁₆‐A consisted of tetragonal VO₂ and monoclinic VO₂. Morphology observations display that the VO_X‐C₁₆‐A is made of nanorod. Investigations into the performances of the catalysts showed that VO_X‐C₁₆‐A was reusable, producing a 1.9% conversion of benzene without reducing agent.