DFT quantum-chemical calculations of nitrogen oxide chemisorption and reactivity on the Cu(100) surface

A DFT quantum-chemical study of NO adsorption and reactivity on the Cu₂₀ and Cu₁₆ metal clusters showed that only the molecular form of NO is stabilized on the copper surface. The heat of monomolecular adsorption was calculated to be ΔH _m = ?49.9 kJ/mol, while dissociative adsorption of NO is energetically unfavorable, ΔH _d = + 15.7 kJ/mol, and dissociation demands a very high activation energy, E _a = + 125.4 kJ/mol. Because of the absence of NO dissociation on the copper surface, the formation mechanism of the reduction products, N₂ and N₂O, is debatable since the surface reaction ultimately leads to N-O bond cleavage. As the reaction occurs with a very low activation energy, E _a = 7.3 kJ/mol, interpretation of the NO direct reduction mechanism is both an important and intriguing problem because the binding energy in the NO molecule is high (630 kJ/mol) and the experimental studies revealed only physically adsorbed forms on the copper surface. It was found that the formation mechanism of the N₂ and N₂O reduction products involves formation (on the copper surface) of the (O_adN-NO_ad) dimer intermediate that is chemisorbed via the oxygen atoms and characterized by a stable N-N bond (r _N-N ～1.3 Å). The N-N binding between the adsorbed NO molecules occurs through electron-accepting interaction between the oxygen atoms in NO and the metal atoms on the “defective” copper surface. The electronic structure of the (O_adN-NO_ad) surface dimer is characterized by excess electron density (ON-NO)^δ? and high reactivity in N-O_ad bond dissociation. The calculated activation energy of the destruction of the chemisorbed intermediate (O_adN-NO_ad) is very low (E _a = 5–10 kJ/mol), which shows that it is kinetically unstable against the instantaneous release of the N₂ and N₂O reduction products into the gas phase and cannot be identified by modern experimental methods of metal surface studies. At the same time, on the MgO surface and in the individual (Ph₃P)₂Pt(O₂N₂) complex, a stable (O_adN-NO_ad) dimer was revealed experimentally.     

Designs of Tandem Catalysts and Cascade Catalytic Systems for CO2 Upgrading

Upgrading CO₂ into multi-carbon (C2+) compounds through the CO₂ reduction reaction (CO₂RR) offers a practical approach to mitigate atmospheric CO₂ while simultaneously producing high value chemicals. The reaction pathways for C2+ production involve multi-step proton-coupled electron transfer (PCET) and C−C coupling processes. By increasing the surface coverage of adsorbed protons (*H_ad) and *CO intermediates, the reaction kinetics of PCET and C−C coupling can be accelerated, thereby promoting C2+ production. However, *H_ad and *CO are competitively adsorbed intermediates on monocomponent catalysts, making it difficult to break the linear scaling relationship between the adsorption energies of the *H_ad/*CO intermediate. Recently, tandem catalysts consisting of multicomponents have been developed to improve the surface coverage of *H_ad or *CO by enhancing water dissociation or CO₂-to-CO production on auxiliary sites. In this context, we provide a comprehensive overview of the design principles of tandem catalysts based on reaction pathways for C2+ products. Moreover, the development of cascade CO₂RR catalytic systems that integrate CO₂RR with downstream catalysis has expanded the range of potential CO₂ upgrading products. Therefore, we also discuss recent advancements in cascade CO₂RR catalytic systems, highlighting the challenges and perspectives in these systems.     

Effects of heteroatoms on the electronic,sensor, and adsorption properties of graphene

The effects of doping heteroatoms on the structure, electronic and adsorption properties of graphene are investigated using density functional theory calculations. Six different doped graphenes (with Al, B, Si, N, P, and S) are considered, and to obtain the interaction and adsorption properties, three sulfur-containing molecules (H₂S, SO₂, and thiophene) were interacted with selected graphenes. The adsorption energies (E _ad) in the gas phase and solvents show the exothermic interaction for all complexes. The maximum E _ad values are observed for aluminum doped graphene (AG) and silicon doped graphene (SiG), and adsorption energies in the solvent are not so different from those in the gas phase. NBO calculations show that the AG and SiG complexes have the highest E ⁽²⁾ interaction energies and simple graphene (G) and nitrogen doped graphene (NG) have the least E ⁽²⁾ energies. Population analyses show that doping heteroatoms change the energy gap. This gap changes more during the interaction and these changes make these structures useful in sensor devices. All calculated data confirm better adsorption of SO₂ by graphenes versus H₂S and thiophene. Among all graphenes, AG and then SiG are the best adsorbents for these structures.     

Structure-reactivity relationships on Michael additions of secondary cyclic amines with 3-cyanomethylidene-2-oxindoline derivatives

A kinetic study of the nucleophilic addition reactions of 3-cyanomethylidene-2-oxindoline derivatives with cyclic amines (namely: piperidine, morpholine and pyrrolidine) in MeCN solution at 20 °C is reported. The second-order rate constants showed of this process fit nicely the Brönsted equation log k₁ = β_nuc pK_a + C, allowing the determination of the β_nuc parameter in the range of 0.63 < β_nuc < 0.77 that indicates that the degree of formation of N–C bond in the transition state is more half complete. Moreover, the analysis of the kinetic measurements based on a good linear log k (20 °C) = s_N (E + N) free enthalpy relationship are used to assess the electrophilic reactivity in term of E parameter of these series of 2-oxindoline derivatives Michael acceptors. Of major interest is that the estimated E values were established to cover a domain of reactivity of ~3 units of E, ranging from −17.5 for 2-(5-chloro-2-oxindolin-3-ylidene)malononitrile (the most reactive electrophile) to −20.3 for ethyl 2-(5-chloro-1-methyl-2-oxindolin-3-ylidene)-2-cyanoacetate (the least reactive electrophile). The theoretical reactivity indices ω based on the conceptual Density Functional Theory (DFT) explains correctly the experimental electrophilicity E ordering founded in terms of experimental scales.     

DEMS study on the nature of acetaldehyde adsorbates at Pt and Pd by isotopic labelling

The formation of acetaldehyde adsorbates on Pt and Pd has been studied applying cyclic voltammetry and differential electrochemical mass spectrometry (DEMS). The adspecies were isolated on the metal surface at selected adsorption potentials (E _ad) applying a flow cell procedure under potential control, and the anodic stripping were performed for each E _ad. For Pt, two different contributions were established during oxidation: one at E < 0.80 V and the second in the range 0.80–1.50 V in the Pt oxide region. For Pd, the voltammetric profile resembles that for the oxidation of adsorbed CO. DEMS experiments have shown that CO₂ was the sole electro-oxidation product in both cases. The oxidation of each C atom in acetaldehyde adsorbates has been distinguished using the isotopic-labelled aldehyde in DEMS experiments at selected E _ad. It was observed that, on Pt, acetaldehyde molecules loose part of the CH₃ groups during adsorption at E _ad < 0.40 V, whereas the CHO groups are easily oxidized at E _ad > 0.40 V. Therefore, both C₁ and C₂ species are present on the surface, and their yields depend on E _ad. On the contrary, on Pd, most of the CH₃ groups are lost during adsorption at all E _ad, and the main adsorbed species seems to be CO_ad. Dedicated to Prof. Dr. Teresa Iwasita on the occasion of her 65th birthday in recognition of her numerous contributions to interfacial electrochemistry.     

Excimer formation mechanism in gaseous krypton and Kr/N2 mixtures

A new approach for the understanding of the energy relaxation dynamics of excited atoms involving a long-lived molecular precursor is presented here for krypton. Excitation of the gas close to the 5s[3/2]₂ metastable atomic level (E _at. ?E _exc.<kT) is achieved with an intense VUV laser source (I ≈ 10¹² photon/pulse) realized by resonantly enhanced 4-wave mixing (2ω₁ + ω₂) in room temperature mercury vapor (N _Hg ≈ 10¹³ at./cm³). The decay of the II. continuum luminescence (145 nm) is studied. In the pressure range 200–500 mbar, decay rates depend linearly on pressure but have a negative zero-pressure intersect. We show here that this result can be understood as an effect of the exchange of energy between two different “reservoirs” of atomic (5s[3/2]₂) and molecular (1_g) nature, and can be an inherent peculiarity of the recombination kinetics of excited atoms with several product channels. The efficiency of the model is checked for the Kr/N₂ system. Rate constants for relaxation processes are determined in pure krypton and in Kr/N₂ mixtures.     

Excess enthalpies of the liquid systems: 1,2-dichloroethane + n-alkanes or +2,2,4-trimethylpentane

Hahn, G. Svejda, P. and Kehiaian, H.V., 1986. Excess enthalpies of the liquid systems: 1,2-dichloroethane + n-alkanes or +2,2,4-trimethylpentane. Fluid Phase Equilibria, 28: 309-323.Molar excess enthalpies, h^E, at 293.15 K and atmospheric pressure are reported for the binary liquid mixtures of 1,2-dichloroethane + haptane, + decane, + dodecane, + tetradecane, + hexadecane or + 2,2,4-trimethylpentane, all determined by means of a flow microcalorimeter of the Picker-type. These measurements could be reproduced within the experimental limits by calculations according to a quasi-chemical group contribution theory, using constant values for two interchange energy coefficients, C_1,ad (Gibbs energy) and C_2,ad (enthalpy). Fair agreement between the calculated excess heat capacities, e^E_p, and the experimental literature values could be obtained by adjusting a third coefficient, C_3,ad (heat capacity). However, C_3,ad decreases with increasing chain length of the n-alkane. Even with three C_1,ad coefficients the model cannot reproduce the exact shape of the c^E_p versus composition curves. Apparently, not only the terms of an interchange of group surface contacts, but also conformational changes occurring in n-alkanes on mixing, contribute to the excess functions. The set of C_1,ad coefficients reported in this paper should prove useful in predicting phase equilibria in liquid 1,2-dichloroethane + n-alkane mixtures.     

Photocatalytic deoxygenation of N–O bonds with rhenium complexes: from the reduction of nitrous oxide to pyridine N-oxides

The accumulation of nitrogen oxides in the environment calls for new pathways to interconvert the various oxidation states of nitrogen, and especially their reduction. However, the large spectrum of reduction potentials covered by nitrogen oxides makes it difficult to find general systems capable of efficiently reducing various N-oxides. Here, photocatalysis unlocks high energy species able both to circumvent the inherent low reactivity of the greenhouse gas and oxidant N₂O (E⁰(N₂O/N₂) = +1.77 V vs. SHE), and to reduce pyridine N-oxides (E_1/2(pyridine N-oxide/pyridine) = −1.04 V vs. SHE). The rhenium complex [Re(4,4′-tBu-bpy)(CO)₃Cl] proved to be efficient in performing both reactions under ambient conditions, enabling the deoxygenation of N₂O as well as synthetically relevant and functionalized pyridine N-oxides.

A rhenium-based photocatalyst enables the deoxygenation of several compounds containing N–O bonds, such as N₂O and pyridine N-oxides.     

Kinetics of dissociative adsorption of formic acid on Pt(100), Pt(610), Pt(210) and Pt(110) single-crystal electrodes in perchloric acid solutions

The kinetics of dissociative adsorption of HCOOH on Pt(100), Pt(610), Pt(210) and Pt(110) single-crystal electrodes has been investigated. The oxidation of dissociative adsorbate (DA) derived from the dissociative adsorption of HCOOH was used as a probe reaction together with the potential-step technique of short time windows. The quantity Q_ad of DA produced at a given potential E_ad and in a defined time window t_ad of adsorption has been determined systematically. At fixed t_ad peaked curves of Q_ad versus E_ad in the potential range between −0.25 and 0.25 V/SCE have been obtained on all four electrodes. The maximum rate of dissociative adsorption of HCOOH decreases in the order Pt(110) Pt(210) Pt(610) Pt(100).     

Electrochemical Behavior of Irreversibly Adsorbed Sb on Au Electrode

The electrochemical processes of irreversibly adsorbed antimony (Sb_ad) on Au electrode were investigated by cyclic voltammetry (CV) and electrochemical quartz crystal microbalance (EQCM). CV data showed that Sb_ad on Au electrode yielded oxidation and reduction features at about 0.15 V (vs saturated calomel electrode, SCE). EQCM data indicated that Sb_ad species were stable on Au electrode in the potential region from −0.25 to 0.18 V (vs SCE); the adsorption of Sb inhibited the adsorption of water and anion on Au electrode at low electrode potentials. Sb₂O₃ species was suggested to form on the Au electrode at 0.18 V. At a potential higher than 0.20 V the Sb₂O₃ species could be further oxidized to Sb(V) oxidation state and then desorbed from Au electrode.     

Surface Adsorbed Hydroxyl: A Double-Edged Sword in Electrochemical CO2 Reduction over Oxide-Derived Copper

Oxide-derived Cu (OD−Cu) featured with surface located sub-20 nm nanoparticles (NPs) created via surface structure reconstruction was developed for electrochemical CO₂ reduction (ECO₂RR). With surface adsorbed hydroxyls (OH_ad) identified during ECO₂RR, it is realized that OH_ad, sterically confined and adsorbed at OD−Cu by surface located sub-20 nm NPs, should be determinative to the multi-carbon (C₂) product selectivity. In situ spectral investigations and theoretical calculations reveal that OH_ad favors the adsorption of low-frequency *CO with weak C≡O bonds and strengthens the *CO binding at OD−Cu surface, promoting *CO dimerization and then selective C₂ production. However, excessive OH_ad would inhibit selective C₂ production by occupying active sites and facilitating competitive H₂ evolution. In a flow cell, stable C₂ production with high selectivity of ∼60 % at −200 mA cm⁻² could be achieved over OD−Cu, with adsorption of OH_ad well steered in the fast flowing electrolyte.     

The effect of curvature of Li-doped polycyclic hydrocarbon on its interaction energy with H<Subscript>2</Subscript> and H<Subscript>2</Subscript>O: DF-SAPT (DFT) calculation

In this work, the interaction of three Li⁺-doped polycyclic hydrocarbons (Li⁺-DPH) with H₂ and H₂O was calculated to investigate the effect of curvature of substrate on the interaction energy (E_int). For this purpose, the E_int and its decomposed energy components (electrostatic (E_elec), exchange (E_exch), induction (E_ind), and dispersion energy (E_disp)) were calculated using DF-SAPT (DFT) methodology for the selected systems (Li⁺-(3,3) carbon nanotube (Li⁺-CNT33), Li⁺-(6,6) carbon nanotube (Li⁺-CNT66), and Li⁺-graphene). According to the results, E_int does not change significantly with curvature for the interaction between both H₂ and H₂O gases and the selected Li⁺-DPH. Since the variation of the E_int with the curvature of Li⁺-DPH is not significant, the selection of a planar Li⁺-DPH is a trustworthy model to develop a general force field for describing the interaction between a Li⁺-DPH and adsorbed gases. The results reveal that, in the case of the H₂, the components E_elect, E_exch, E_ind, and E_disp have shown a decreasing trend with Li⁺-DPH’s curvature decrement. However, for the H₂O, E_elect, E_exch, and E_ind decrease from the Li⁺-CNT33 to the Li⁺-CNT66 while they increase from the Li⁺-CNT66 to the Li⁺-graphene. In this case, the E_disp increases with a decrease of the curvature of Li⁺-DPH. Finally, it can be seen that although the variation of the E_int with the curvature of Li⁺-DPH is not significant, the variation trend of the interaction energy components and the amount of variation depend on the gas molecule and in some cases are not negligible.     

Adsorption separation of CO2 and N2 on MIL-101 metal-organic framework and activated carbon

In this work, the CO₂ and N₂ adsorption properties of MIL-101 metal-organic framework (MOF) and activated carbon (AC) were investigated using a standard gravimetric method within the pressure range of 0–30 bar and at four different temperatures (298, 308, 318 and 328 K). The dual-site Langmuir–Freundlich (DSLF) model was used to describe the CO₂ adsorption behaviors on these two adsorbents. The diffusion coefficients and activation energy E _a for diffusion of CO₂ in the MIL-101 and AC samples were estimated separately. Results showed that the isosteric heat of CO₂ adsorption on the MIL-101 at zero loading was much higher than that on the AC due to a much stronger interaction between CO₂ molecule and the unsaturated metal sites Cr³⁺ on MIL-101. Meanwhile, the dramatically decreased isosteric heats of CO₂ adsorption on MIL-101 indicated a more heterogeneous surface of MIL-101. Furthermore, the adsorption kinetic behaviors of CO₂ on the two samples can be well described by the micropore diffusion model. With the increase of temperature, the diffusion coefficients of CO₂ in the two samples both increased. The activation energy E _a for diffusion of CO₂ in MIL-101 was slightly lower than that in AC, suggesting that MIL-101 was much favorable for the CO₂ adsorption. The CO₂/N₂ selectivities on MIL-101 and AC were separately estimated to be 13.7 and 9.2 using Henry law constant, which were much higher than those on other MOFs.     

A 3D Ba-MOF for selective adsorption of CO_2/CH_4 and CO_2/N_2

An unexpected in-situ hydrolysis reaction occurred during the solvothermal reaction of N,N'-bis(4-carboxy-2-methylphenyl)pyromellitic di-imide) and Ba(NO_3)_2,and a novel porous Ba-MOF,[H_2 N(CH_3)_2]_(0.5) [Ba_(1.5)(L)(DMA)]·1.5 DMA·1.5 H_2 O(UPC-70,H3 L=2-(4-ca rboxy-2-methylphenyl)-1,3-dioxoisoindoline-5,6-dicarboxylic acid,DMA=N,N-dimethylacetamide),was obtained on the basis of the partial hydrolysate.The as-synthesized 3 D network with 1 D open channels of different sizes(24 A and 10 A)contains abundant open metal sites after removal of solvents,which is conducive to the preferential adsorption of CO_2.The subsequent gas sorption measurement reveals the high separation selectivity of UPC-70 for CO_2/CH_4(15) and CO_2/N_2(32) at ambient conditions,and GCMC theoretical simulation provides good verification of the experimental results,indicating that UPC-70 is a potential candidate for CO_2 capture from flue gas and natural gas.     

Kinetic parameters and solid state mechanism of the thermal dehydration of trans[CrF(H2O)(aa′)2]K[Cr(CN)6]H2O And trans[CrF(H2O)(aa′)2]K[CrNO(CN)5]H2O (aa′=ethylenediamine or 1,3-diaminopropane)

The solid phase thermal deaquation of trans[CrF(H₂O)(aa′)₂]K[Cr(CN)₆]H₂O and trans[CrF(H₂O)(aa′)₂]K[CrNO(CN)₅]H₂O (aa′=ethylenediamine or 1,3-diaminopropane) has been investigated by means of TG measurements. The kinetic parameters (activation energy, E_a, activation entropy, ΔS^#, and frequency factor, k₀) have been determined by comparison of the isothermal and non-isothermal studies for all the principal g(α) expressions. The values found for the activation energy are low (between 80 and 110 kJ mole^?1, approximately) and permit the assignment of the deaquation-anation mechanism of the S_N1 type, involving square-pyramid activated complex and elimination of water as Frenkel defects.     

Expanded polycationic mercury-chalcogen networks in the layered compounds Hg3E2[MX6] (E=S, Se; M=Zr, Hf; X=Cl, Br)

The reactions of HgE (E=S, Se) with HgX₂ and MX₄ (M=Zr, Hf; X=Cl, Br) in evacuated glass ampoules lead to a series of isotypic compounds of the general formula Hg₃E₂[MX₆] in the form of colorless (X=Cl) and light-yellow (X=Br) air-sensitive crystals. The crystal structures of Hg₃S₂[ZrCl₆] (I), Hg₃S₂[HfCl₆] (II), Hg₃Se₂[ZrCl₆] (III), Hg₃Se₂[HfCl₆] (IV), Hg₃S₂[ZrBr₆] (V), and Hg₃Se₂[ZrBr₆] (VI) were refined based on single-crystal data. All compounds crystallize in the monoclinic space group P2₁/a with the lattice parameters a=662.18(2) pm, b=734.97(3) pm, c=1290.83(5) pm, β=91.755(2)° for (I) and and a=701.97(3) pm, b=756.79(3) pm, c=1350.99(6) pm, β=92.164(3)° for (VI). The structures are built of (Hg₃E₂)²⁺ layers stacked perpendicular to the c-axis. The polycationic layers consist of two-dimensionally linked 12-membered Hg₆E₆ rings in the chair conformation with linear coordinated Hg and trigonal pyramidal coordinated chalcogen atoms. Almost regular octahedral [MX₆]²⁻ ions are embedded between the layers. This arrangement is closely related to the structure of Hg₃S₂[SiF₆], which represents a higher symmetric congener. The structure relation is discussed using the supergroup-subgroup relation between space groups.     

Pyrrole adsorption on aluminum nitride nanotubes on DFT data

The adsorption behavior of pyrrole molecule with external surface of (5.0) on zigzag aluminum nitride nanotube (AlNNT) was studied using density functional theory calculations. It was found that the adsorption energy (E_ad) of pyrrole on the surface of pristine nanotubes is about–11.99 kcal/mol. However, when nanotubes have been doped with P atom, the adsorption energy of pyrrole was increased. Calculation showed that for the phosphorus-doped nanotube the adsorption energy range is about–9.04 to?12.80 kcal/mol. AlNNT is a suitable adsorbent for pyrrole, so it can be used in adsorption and separation processes involving pyrrole. The doped AlNNT can potentially be used for pyrrole sensors for detection in environmental systems.     

Detection of bendamustine anti-cancer drug via AlN and Si-doped C nanocone and nanosheet sensors by DFT

Bendamustine or Treanda? is used as an anti-cancer drug, especially in treatment of hematologic malignancies. In view of the immense importance of drug/sensor issues, here we report adsorption behavior of this drug in presence of six nanosensors including aluminum nitride (AlN), carbon, and Si-doped carbon nanocones and nanosheets, at B3LYP/6-31G* level of theory. Electrical conductivity of these nanoadsorbents is probed against that of bendamustine for assessing their abilities of drug sensing with possible implications in drug delivery. The adsorption energy (E_ad), doping energy (E_dop), HOMO energy (E_H), LUMO energy (E_L), HOMO-LUMO band gap (E_g), change of band gaps in percent (%?E_g), change of natural bond orbital (NBO) charges (?Q), conduction electron population (N), and density of state (DOS) plots are calculated. More E_ad, ?Q, and N values imply more interaction between bendamustine and nanosensor which lead to a strong recognition of the drug. The interaction of AlN nanosheet and bendamustine shows the highest E_ad, %?E_g, and ?Q (??28.8 kcal/mol, ??33.6%, and 0.4 e, respectively) which make AlN nanosheet as the most promising among our scrutinized nanosensors. A negative E_dop indicates an exothermic doping process, where Si atom improves the electronic sensitivity of C nanocone and nanosheet. All calculated E_ad and %?E_g turn out as negative values which reveal that electrical conductivity of our scrutinized nanostructures are increased upon adsorbing process which makes them efficient sensors for bendamustine.

Graphical abstract

     

1,3-Thiazoline-2-thione-4,5-dithiolato, an efficient building block towards functionalized dithiadiazafulvalenes

The first synthesis and X-ray structural determination of the bis(tetraethylammonium) Zn dithiolene complex involving N-methyl-1,3-thiazoline-2-thione-4,5-dithiolate, [NEt₄]₂[Zn(Me-thiazdt)₂], are reported. The reactivity of this dithiolene complex as a nucleophilic dithiolate synthon and as a precursor of the air sensitive electron rich olefine, the bis ethylenedithiodithiadiazafulvalene (BEDT-DTDAF), is also described.     

Adsorption Properties of Comb-Shaped Polycarboxylate Dispersant onto Different Crystal Pyraclostrobin Particle Surfaces

The stability of the suspension system of the two crystal forms of pyraclostrobin is evaluated using multiple light technology, and the adsorption performance of polycarboxylate dispersant on the surface of two different crystalline pyraclostrobin particles is compared in combination with XRD, FTIR, XPS, and SEM from the microscopic view. The adsorption kinetics and thermodynamics studies of 2700 on the surfaces of different crystalline forms of pyraclostrobin particles show that the adsorption process of 2700 on the surfaces of pyraclostrobin crystal forms II and IV conform to pseudo-second-order kinetic adsorption model. The Ea values for crystal forms II and IV are 12.93 and 14.39 kJ∙mol⁻¹, respectively, which indicates that both adsorption processes are physical adsorption. The adsorption models of 2700 on the surfaces of pyraclostrobin crystal forms II and IV are in accordance with Langmuir adsorption isotherms. The ∆G_ad values of crystal forms II and IV are negative and the ∆S_ad values are positive at different temperatures. Therefore, the adsorption processes are spontaneous and accompanied by entropy increase. The results of this study provide an important theoretical basis for the selection of polycarboxylate dispersants in the suspension of pyraclostrobin. This study also provides a reference for the research of polycrystalline pesticide suspension concentrate.