Examination of Pt(111)/Ru and Pt(111)/Os surfaces: STM imaging and methanol oxidation activity

Ruthenium and osmium were deposited in submonolayer amounts on Pt(111) single crystal surfaces using the previously reported ‘spontaneous deposition’ procedure [Chrzanowski et al., Langmuir, 13 (1997) 5974]. Such surfaces were first explored using ex situ scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) to image the deposition characteristics of ruthenium and osmium islands on Pt(111). It was found that, using the spontaneous deposition procedure, a maximum coverage of 0.20 ML ruthenium is formed on the surface after 120 s of exposure to a RuCl₃ solution in 0.1 M HClO₄. A homogeneous deposition on the Pt(111) surface was found, with no observed preferential deposition on step edges or surface defect sites. In contrast, in the spontaneous deposition of osmium, osmium clusters form preferentially at, though not limited to, surface defect sites and step edges. Osmium island deposition occurs at a greater rate than ruthenium on Pt(111), and possible explanations are presented. Methanol activity on the Pt(111)/Ru and Pt(111)/Os surfaces is also studied, using the coverage values determined to yield the highest activity for methanol electro-oxidation (0.20 ML coverage for Ru and 0.15 ML for Os). At potentials more negative than 0.40 V vs. RHE, the Pt(111)/Ru surface yields a higher surface activity than Pt(111)/Os. However, at potentials more positive than 0.04 V, Pt(111)/Os exhibits demonstrably higher surface activity. The relevance of this data is discussed and future avenues of interest are indicated.     

Pt(100)/离子液体OMIPF6界面结构的STM研究

本文运用电化学扫描隧道显微术研究了离子液体OMIPF₆中Pt（100）表面结构在电化学双层区随电极电位的变化. OMI⁺阳离子在Pt（100）表面形成有序吸附结构,并且在约1.2 V宽的电位区间内稳定地存在Pt（100）表面。在电位负于-0.6 V时,有序吸附结构会发生向无序吸附结构的转变. 在电位正于+0.6 V时,较强的静电排斥力才能克服OMIPF₆与Pt（100）表面之间的化学作用,从而导致OMI+阳离子的脱附. 研究表明,OMI+阳离子具有的较长烷基侧链与Pt金属产生的较强化学相互作用是影响该Pt（100）/ OMIPF6界面结构的重要因素.     

Enhanced Metal-Support Interactions Boost the Electrocatalytic Water Splitting of Supported Ruthenium Nanoparticles on a Ni3N/NiO Heterojunction at Industrial Current Density

Developing highly efficient and stable hydrogen production catalysts for electrochemical water splitting (EWS) at industrial current densities remains a great challenge. Herein, we proposed a heterostructure-induced-strategy to optimize the metal-support interaction (MSI) and the EWS activity of Ru-Ni₃N/NiO. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations firstly predicted that the Ni₃N/NiO-heterostructures can improve the structural stability, electronic distributions, and orbital coupling of Ru-Ni₃N/NiO compared to Ru-Ni₃N and Ru-NiO, which accordingly decreases energy barriers and increases the electroactivity for EWS. As a proof-of-concept, the Ru-Ni₃N/NiO catalyst with a 2D Ni₃N/NiO-heterostructures nanosheet array, uniformly dispersed Ru nanoparticles, and strong MSI, was successfully constructed in the experiment, which exhibited excellent HER and OER activity with overpotentials of 190 mV and 385 mV at 1000 mA cm⁻², respectively. Furthermore, the Ru-Ni₃N/NiO-based EWS device can realize an industrial current density (1000 mA cm⁻²) at 1.74 V and 1.80 V under alkaline pure water and seawater conditions, respectively. Additionally, it also achieves a high durability of 1000 h (@ 500 mA cm⁻²) in alkaline pure water.     

Catalytic Oxidation of CO on a Curved Pt(111) Surface: Simultaneous Ignition at All Facets through a Transient CO-O Complex**

The catalytic oxidation of CO on transition metals, such as Pt, is commonly viewed as a sharp transition from the CO-inhibited surface to the active metal, covered with O. However, we find that minor amounts of O are present in the CO-poisoned layer that explain why, surprisingly, CO desorbs at stepped and flat Pt crystal planes at once, regardless of the reaction conditions. Using near-ambient pressure X-ray photoemission and a curved Pt(111) crystal we probe the chemical composition at surfaces with variable step density during the CO oxidation reaction. Analysis of C and O core levels across the curved crystal reveals that, right before light-off, subsurface O builds up within (111) terraces. This is key to trigger the simultaneous ignition of the catalytic reaction at different Pt surfaces: a CO-Pt-O complex is formed that equals the CO chemisorption energy at terraces and steps, leading to the abrupt desorption of poisoning CO from all crystal facets at the same temperature.     

Au(111)/咪唑基离子液体界面结构研究：阳离子侧链长度的影响

本文结合电化学方法与原子力显微镜力曲线技术,研究了两种烷基侧链长度不同的离子液体BMITFSA和OMITFSA在Au(111)电极表面附近的层状结构的数目和耐受力对电位的依赖性,探究了烷基侧链长度变化对界面层状结构的影响. 研究表明,不同烷基侧链长度的离子液体体系力-电位曲线形状基本相似. 在零电荷电位（the potential of zero charge,PZC）附近时,力值最小,因为此时电极表面荷电量较小,层状结构不稳定;电位偏离PZC的过程中,第一层层状结构力值呈现先增大后减小的趋势. 受到烷基侧链所处的不同位置影响,在PZC电位以负,短侧链离子液体的层状结构稳定性较好,而PZC电位以正,长侧链离子液体的稳定性较好.     

Effect of the Random Defects Generated on the Surface of Pt(111) on the Electro-oxidation of Ethanol: An Electrochemical Study

In the present work, the Pt(111) surface was disordered by controlling the density of {110}- and {100}-type defects. The cyclic voltammogram (CV) of a disordered surface in acid media consists of three contributions within the hydrogen adsorption/desorption region: one from the well-ordered Pt(111) symmetry and the other two transformed from the {111}-symmetry with contributions of {110}- and {100}-type surface defects. The ethanol oxidation reaction (EOR) was studied on these disordered surfaces. Electrochemical studies were performed in 0.1 M HClO₄+0.1 M ethanol using cyclic voltammetry and chronoamperometry. Changes in current densities associated to the specific potentials at which each oxidation peak appears suggest that different surface domains of disordered platinum oxidize ethanol independently. Additionally, as the surface-defect density increases, the EOR is catalysed better. This tendency is directly observed from the CV parameters because the onset and peak potentials are shifted to less positive values and accompanied by increases in the oxidation-peak current on disordered surfaces. Similarly, the CO oxidation striping confirmed this same tendency. Chronoamperometric experiments showed two opposite behaviors at short oxidation times (0.1 s). The EOR was quickly catalyzed on the most disordered surface, Pt(111)-16, and was then rapidly deactivated. These results provide fundamental information on the EOR, which contributes to the atomic-level understanding of real catalysts.     

Water wafers: structure and melting of a hydrate inclusion compound of a neutral Pt(IV) complex with 1-methylcytosinato ligands

The characterization by X-ray analysis of the trans,trans,trans-[bis(1-methylcytosinate,N4)bis(ammine)bis(hydroxo)platinum(IV)] octahydrate complex (I) reveals an unexpected crystal packing. The neutral complex molecule is hosted by layers, totally built up by water molecules which do not exhibit a direct coordination to metal ions. These corrugated layers are made by puckered eight- and planar four-membered rings of water molecules, held together by hydrogen bonds with an ordered proton arrangement.     

Double Layer at the Pt(111)–Aqueous Electrolyte Interface: Potential of Zero Charge and Anomalous Gouy–Chapman Screening

We report, for the first time, the observation of a Gouy–Chapman capacitance minimum at the potential of zero charge of the Pt(111)‐aqueous perchlorate electrolyte interface. The potential of zero charge of 0.3 V vs. NHE agrees very well with earlier values obtained by different methods. The observation of the potential of zero charge of this interface requires a specific pH (pH 4) and anomalously low electrolyte concentrations (<10^?3 m ). By comparison to gold and mercury double‐layer data, we conclude that the diffuse double layer structure at the Pt(111)‐electrolyte interface deviates significantly from the Gouy–Chapman theory in the sense that the electrostatic screening is much better than predicted by purely electrostatic mean‐field Poisson–Boltzmann theory.     

Bimetallic Pt(II)-bipyridyl-diacetylide/Ln(III) tris-diketonate adducts based on a combination of coordinate bonding and hydrogen bonding between the metal fragments: Syntheses,structures and photophysical properties

The luminescent Pt(II) complex [Pt(4,4′-^tBu₂-bipy){CC-(5-pyrimidinyl)}₂] (1) was prepared by coupling of [Pt(4,4′-^tBu₂-bipy)Cl₂] with 5-ethynyl-pyrimidine, and contains two pyrimidinyl units pendant from a Pt(II) bipyridyl diacetylide core; it shows luminescence at 520 nm which is typical of Pt(II) luminophores of this type. Reaction with [Ln(hfac)₃(H₂O)₂] (hfac = anion of hexafluoroacetylacetone) affords as crystalline solids the compounds [1 · {Ln(hfac)₃(H₂O)}{Ln(hfac)₃(H₂O)₂}] (Ln = Nd, Gd, Er, Yb), in which the {Ln(hfac)₃(H₂O)} unit is coordinated to one pyrimidine ring via an N atom, whereas the {Ln(hfac)₃(H₂O)₂} unit is associated with two N atoms, one from each pyrimidine ring of 1, via N?HOH hydrogen-bonding interactions involving the coordinated water ligands on the lanthanide centre. Solution spectroscopic studies show that the luminescence of 1 is partly quenched on addition of [Ln(hfac)₃(H₂O)₂] (Ln = Er, Nd) by formation of Pt(II)/Ln(III) adducts in which Pt(II)→Ln(III) photoinduced energy-transfer occurs to the low-lying f–f levels of the Ln(III) centre. Significant quenching occurs with both Er(III) and Nd(III) because both have several f–f states which match well the ³MLCT emission energy of 1. Time-resolved luminescence studies show that Pt(II)→Er(III) energy-transfer (7.0 × 10⁷ M⁻¹) is around three times faster than Pt(II)→Nd(III) energy-transfer (≈2 × 10⁷ M⁻¹) over the same distance because the luminescence spectrum of 1 overlaps better with the absorption spectrum of Er(III) than with Nd(III). In contrast Yb(III) causes no significant quenching of 1 because it has only a single f–f excited level which is a poor energy match for the Pt(II)-based excited state.     

An Amphiphilic Resin‐dispersion of Nanoparticles of Platinum (ARP‐Pt): A Highly Active and Recyclable Catalyst for the Aerobic Oxidation of a Variety of Alcohols in Water

Please recycle! An amphiphilic polystyrene‐poly(ethylene glycol) resin‐dispersion of nanoparticles of platinum (ARP‐Pt) is developed, with the nanoparticles exhibiting a narrow size distribution throughout the resin. ARP‐Pt offers a sustainable chemistry alternative as a useful and readily recyclable catalyst for the aerobic oxidation of a wide variety of alcohols.

     

Orthotelluric Acid as Substitute for Crystal‐Water: Syntheses and Crystal Structure of the Co‐crystallate [Te(OH)6 · 2 Adenine · 4 H2O] and the Disodium Ditellurate(VI) Aggregate {[Te2O2(OH)6(ONa)2]2[NaOH · 12.5 H2O]}

Supramolecular aspects on Te(OH)₆ as substitute for crystal‐water in adenine hydrate complexes and the first disodium ditellurate(VI) are reported. The co‐crystallate [Te(OH)₆ · 2 adenine · 4 H₂O] ( 1 ) has been prepared in 41% yield from the 1 : 1 mixing of Te(OH)₆ with the nitrogenous base adenine. The adduct of infinite stacks of adenine molecules, Te(OH)₆ and water not only proves that Te(OH)₆ mimicks the role of water in the related hydrate adenine · 3 H₂O but also shows that the inclusion of Te(OH)₆ raises the number of HO–H and N–HO contacts and therefore increases the distance between the adenine rings to 3.31 Å in 1 in comparison to that in adenine trihydrate (3.22 Å). Additionally, the disodium ditellurate(VI) aggregate {[Te₂(O)₂(OH)₆(ONa)₂]₂ [NaOH · 12.5 H₂O]} ( 2 ) resulted from the reaction of 1 with 2 molar equivalents of aqueous NaOH. Dinuclear 2 represents the first X‐ray diffraction characterized example of a sodium tellurate(VI) constructed from [Te₂O₄(OH)₆]^2– dianions.