Properties of Adsorbed Oxygen Forms on a Defective Ag(111) Surface. DFT Analysis

A cluster model of an Ag12–3O (AS_V) adsorption center using layered silver oxide as a prototype is proposed. The model includes a cation vacancy V on the Ag(111) surface and oxide type subsurface oxygen atoms O_ox. Density functional theory (DFT) (B3LYP/LANL1MB approximation) is used to analyze the electronic structure of AS_V and oxygen adsorption on this center, AS_V+O AS–O. As shown by the calculations, the adsorbed oxygen is associated with the subsurface oxygen atoms O_ss to form structures similar to metal ozonides — Ag–O_ss–O_ep–O_ss–Ag–O_ox–Ag, containing electrophilic oxygen O_ep along with the oxide oxygen O_ox. The optical spectra of the AS_V and AS–O centers were calculated by the configuration interaction method with single excitations (CIS). For AS_V, the most intense absorption bands were obtained in the region 500-700 nm. Oxygen association is accompanied by a sharp decrease in spectrum intensity in the range 600-700 nm and an increase in the intensity of the peak at 500 nm. Vibration frequencies and (IR) intensities were determined for the AS_V and AS–O centers. The AS_V center exhibits a characteristic spectrum in the region 350-500 cm^–1, which corresponds to the frequency spectrum of the surface oxide Ag₂O. For associated oxygen forms (AS–O center), the calculations predict additional peaks around 980, 640 and 230 cm^–1. These peaks are due to the vibrations of the O_ss–O_ep–O_ss structural unit, stabilized at the cation vacancy.     

Synthesis of self-assembled nanorod vanadium oxide bundles by sonochemical treatment

Self-assembled nanorod of vanadium oxide bundles were synthesized by treating bulk V₂O₅ with high intensity sonochemical technique. The synthesized materials were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM), transmission electron microscope (TEM) and temperature-programmed reduction (TPR) in H₂. Catalytic behaviour of the materials over anaerobic n-butane oxidation was studied through temperature-programmed reaction (TPRn). Catalytic evaluation of the sonochemical treated V₂O₅ products was also studied on microreactor. XRD patterns of all the vanadium samples were perfectly indexed to V₂O₅. The morphologies of the nanorod vanadium oxides as shown in SEM and TEM depended on the duration of the ultrasound irradiation. Prolonging the ultrasound irradiation duration resulted in materials with uniform, well defined shapes and surface structures and smaller size of nanorod vanadium oxide bundles. H₂-TPR profiles showed that larger amount of oxygen species were removed from the nanorod V₂O₅ compared to the bulk. Furthermore, the nanorod vanadium oxide bundles, which were produced after 90, 120 and 180 min of sonochemical treatment, showed an additional reduction peak at lower temperature (850 K), suggesting the presence of some highly active oxygen species. TPRn in n-butane/He over these materials showed that the nanorod V₂O₅ with highly active oxygen species showed markedly higher activity than the bulk material, which was further proven by catalytic oxidation of n-butane.     

Structure Peculiarities of Reduced Vanadium–Titanium Oxide Catalysts

The properties of vanadium–titanium oxide catalysts, which contain coherent phase boundaries formed by V₂O₅ and TiO₂ crystallites during reduction by hydrogen at 150–500°C, are examined. The phase boundary is preserved over the entire examined temperature range regardless of the structure of vanadium oxide, which is formed. The state of vanadium ions at the phase boundary is determined. The presence of a phase boundary in the catalyst is responsible for the V₂O₅ V₂O₃ transition without the formation of intermediate structures.     

Oxidation of 3- and 4-methylpyridines on modified vanadium oxide catalysts

The partial oxidation of 3- and 4-methylpyridines on V₂O₅ and vanadium oxide catalysts doped with TiO₂, Al₂O₃, and ZrO₂ was studied. The catalytic activities of the studied catalysts were correlated with the calculated proton affinities of the vanadyl oxygen. A possible mechanism of the surface stages of the partial oxidation of 3- and 4-methylpyridines on the vanadium oxide catalysts was discussed.     

Oxidative ammonolysis of 3-picoline on mixed oxide catalysts

The oxidative ammonolysis of 3-picoline has been studied on the following catalysts: V₂O₅ on corundum, V₂O₅ with the addition of 1% of H₂WO₄ on corundum, V₂O₅ + MoO₃ + P₂O₅ (10.350.35) on silica gel, V₂O₅ + Al₂O₃, and a melt of V₂O₅ + TiO₂ (10.22). Mixed catalysts of vanadium and titanium oxides exhibited the highest activity and selectivity. With the passage of 25–45 moles of oxygen (in the form of air), 5–10 moles of ammonia, and 50–70 moles of water per mole of 3-picoline at a temperature of 390–410° C, the amount of nicotinonitrile formed on these catalysts amounted to 85–90% of the theoretically possible amount.Part LXIII of the series Oxidation of organic compounds; for part LXII, see [1].     

Hydrogen photochromism in V<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>5</Subscript> layers prepared by sol–gel technology with the use of dimethylformamide as a hydrogen donor

Here we report on the hydrogen photochromism carried out in the V₂O₅ xerogels with the use of dimethylformamide (DMF) as a hydrogen donor. The adsorption of DMF was carried out by an original method: DMF was adsorbed on the V₂O₅ surface along the formation of the xerogel from the sol containing the hydrogen donor. The mechanism of the DMF adsorption on the V₂O₅ xerogel surface has been discovered by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. DMF molecules have been bonded to the oxide surface by donor–acceptor and hydrogen bonds, which pre-determines easy detachment of hydrogen atoms under the action of light. It has been demonstrated that the pronounced hydrogen photocromism can be carried out in the V₂O₅ xerogels with the use of DMF. The peculiarities of the photochromism have been discussed. The spirit of the research is to provide charging of the V₂O₅ surface with the hydrogen donor along the formation of the oxide xerogel catalyst.

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Interfacial analyses for elucidation of the intergranular disintegration upon oxidation of intermetallic phases

Summary In a range of intermediate temperatures from 600 to 1000°C and in the presence of oxygen, numerous intermetallic phases show the phenomenon pest, an intergranular disintegration into small pieces. Thermo-gravimetric investigations and annealings in quartz ampoules have been performed, for annealing the oxygen pressures were established in the range 10^–30 to 10^–10 bar O₂ using metal/oxide mixtures. The specimens after annealing were fractured in UHV and the intergranular fracture faces were analyzed by AES. The Auger peaks of Al are markedly different for the intermetallic phase and for Al₂O₃, therefore it can be distinguished if oxygen has diffused into grain boundaries and not yet reacted or if Al₂O₃ was formed. The fracture face of NbAl₃ shows oxide precipitates near the surface and oxygen which had penetrated into the interior. Also in NiAl, Al₂O₃ was detected as well as oxygen penetrated into the grain boundaries. The pest obviously is a complex interplay of the processes: 1) penetration of oxygen through the outer oxide layer on the surface into grain boundaries of the intermetallic phase; 2) inward diffusion of oxygen along the grain boundaries into the interior of the intermetallic phase; 3) precipitation of Al₂O₃, beginning near the surface or (at low oxygen pressure) in the whole cross section, and cracking of the materials by the growth of Al₂O₃ into grain boundaries and cracks. Depending on the range of oxygen pressure different steps can be rate determining.     

Synthesis and Examination of Electrolytic Sodium–Vanadium Oxide Compounds Intended for Cathodes of Lithium Batteries: The Mechanism of Formation of Electrolytic Bronze β-NaxV2O5

To determine the mechanism responsible for the formation of electrolytic sodium–vanadium oxide bronze e-Na _x V₂O₅, synthesized earlier from acid vanadyl sulfate electrolyte, -bronze i-Na _x V₂O₅is synthesized by exposing electrolytic oxide e-V₂O₅in the same sodium-containing electrolyte under open-circuit conditions, with a subsequent annealing of the sample. It is established that the two modifications of -bronze (e-Na _x V₂O₅and i-Na _x V₂O₅) are identical and that electrolytic precursors of -bronze Na _x V₂O₅form via an ion-exchange mechanism.     

Studies on the liquid-liquid extraction and precipitate flotation of the second kind of Co(II) using 8-hydroxy quinoline

Catalysis of mixed oxide LaMnO₃ was studied for the decomposition of hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂). The catalyst was -irradiated in open petri dishes, vacuum, dry oxygen and moist oxygen. LaMnO₃ irradiated in moist oxygen showed highest catalytic activity. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopic (XPS) studies were carried out to investigate the surface modifications occurred during -irradiaiton of LaMnO₃. No significant change in the surface was noticed in LaMnO₃ irradiated in vacuum and dry oxygen. However, LaMnO₃ irradiated in moist oxygen and in open petri dishes showed the reduction of transition metal (MN³⁺ to Mn²⁺) which in turn leads to the formation of chemisorbed superoxide ions (O ₂ ^– ) and surface carbonate species (CO ₃ ^2– ). The latter processes decreases the electrical conductivity by trapping the charge carriers. The hydrated electron generated by the radiolysis of moisture reduces the transition metal. A qualitative molecular orbital model has been proposed for the chemisorption of O ₂ ^– on the reduced transition metal centers (Mn²⁺).     

Active component of supported vanadium catalysts in the selective oxidation of methanol

The structure of catalysts based on vanadium oxide supported on different oxides (SiO₂, γ-Al₂O₃, ZrO₂, and TiO₂) was investigated. Their catalytic properties in the selective oxidation of methanol in a temperature range of 100–250°C were studied. It was shown that the nature of the support determines the structure of the oxide forms of vanadium. The supporting of vanadium on SiO₂ and γ-Al₂O₃ leads to the preferred formation of crystalline V₂O₅; the surface monomeric and polymeric forms of VO_x are additionally formed on ZrO₂ and TiO₂. It was established that the crystalline V₂O₅ oxide is least active in the selective oxidation of methanol; the polymeric forms are more active than monomeric ones. The mechanism of the selective oxidation of methanol to dimethoxymethane and methyl formate on the vanadium oxide catalysts is considered.     

Oxidation of the polycrystalline gold foil surface and XPS study of oxygen states in oxide layers

Gold oxide films obtained on the surface of polycrystalline gold foil upon oxidation by oxygen activated by a high-frequency discharge have been studied by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. High-frequency O₂ activation affords oxide films more than 3–5 nm thick. As follows from Au4f spectra, the surface gold atoms are oxidized to the oxidation state +3. The O1s spectra have a composite shape and are decomposed into four components that characterize nonequivalent states of oxygen in the resulting oxide films. It is assumed that the two major oxygen states (E _b(O1s) = 529.0 and 530.0 eV) correspond to the oxygen atoms in two-and three-dimensional gold oxide Au₂O₃, respectively. The oxygen states characterized by the higher binding energies (E _b(O1s) = 531.8 and 535.2 eV) likely correspond to molecular oxygen in peroxide and superoxide groups, respectively.     

Effect of the Nature of a Sodium-Conducting Solid Electrolyte on the Impedance of Its Interface with the SmCo0.8Ti0.2O3 Oxide Electrode in an Oxygen Atmosphere

Impedance spectroscopy is employed for studying the behavior of the interface of the SmCo_0.8Ti_0.2O₃ semiconducting oxide electrode with a sodium-conducting solid electrolyte (Na⁺–SE) in atmospheres of argon and oxygen. Compounds with the susceptibility to hydration decreasing in the row Na₅TbSi₄O₁₂ Na₃Zr₂Si₂PO₁₂ Na₃Sc₂(PO₄)₃ are used as the Na⁺–SE. Only the systems containing the Na₅TbSi₄O₁₂ solid electrolyte, the grain surfaces of which acquire boundary layers formed by hydration products, are sensitive to oxygen. The exchange current of the electrode reaction O₂ (g) + e O₂ ^– increases from 1.8 to 19 mA/cm² in the temperature interval 250–300°C. The systems with Na⁺–SE that are not prone to hydration remain inactive in the oxygen atmosphere probably due to quick blocking of the active centers by nonconducting products of the secondary chemical reaction Na⁺ + O₂ ^– NaO₂.     

Methylpyrazine Ammoxidation over Binary Oxide Systems: V. Effect of Phosphorus Additives on the Physicochemical and Catalytic Properties of a Vanadium–Titanium Catalyst in Methylpyrazine Ammoxidation

Oxide vanadium–titanium catalysts modified by phosphorus additives (20V₂O₅–(80 –n)TiO₂–nP₂O₅, n = 1, 3, 5, 10, and 15 wt %) are studied in methylpyrazine ammoxidation. Two regions of compositions are found corresponding to radically different catalytic properties, namely, catalysts with a low (5 wt % P₂O₅) and high (10 wt % P₂O₅) concentration of the additive. In the first case, the introduction of phosphorus is accompanied by a gradual increase in the activity. In the second case, an increase in the additive concentration results in a decrease in the activity and selectivity to the target product, pyrazineamide, and a simultaneous increase in the selectivities to by-products, pyrazine and carbon oxides. The catalysts are characterized by X-ray diffraction analysis, differential dissolution, IR, and NMR spectroscopic data. As in the binary system, the active sites of the samples with a low concentration of phosphorus contain V⁵⁺ cations in a strongly distorted octahedral oxygen environment, which are strongly bound to a support due to the formation of V–O–Ti bonds. The catalytic properties of the samples containing 10 wt % P₂O₅ are due to the presence of the phase of a triple V–P–Ti compound with an atomic ratio V : P : Ti approximately equal to 1 : 1 : 1. The V⁵⁺ cations in this compound occur in a weakly distorted tetrahedral oxygen environment and are bound to the tetrahedral P⁵⁺ cations.     

Esterification of n-Butanol with Acetic Acid in the Presence of H3PW12O40 Supported on Mesoporous Carbon Materials

The adsorption of H₃PW₁₂O₄₀ (HPA) from methanol solutions on mesoporous carbon supports (multiwall carbon nanotubes (CFC-3) and CFC modified with nitrogen atoms (N-CFC)) was studied. It was found that up to 10 wt % HPA was irreversibly adsorbed on the surface of CFC. This character of adsorption is indicative of the strong interaction of the adsorbate (HPA molecules) with coal surface groups (carboxylic, lactone, etc.) to form intermolecular hydrogen bonds with -electron interactions. It was found that N-containing surface centers affected the adsorption of HPA on N-CFC. The acid and catalytic properties of HPA/CFC systems in the esterification reaction of n-butanol with acetic acid were studied ([BuOH]/[HOAc] = 1 : 15 mol/mol; 80°C). It was found that the strength of proton centers, which was determined as proton affinity, decreased upon supporting HPA. The HPA/CFC-3 systems most actively catalyzed the reaction. The catalytic activity of HPA/N-CFC depended on the nature of N-containing groups at the support surface, and it decreased with concentration of pyridine-like structures.     

Ab initio DFT studies of oxygen K edge NEXAFS spectra for the V2O3(0001) surface

Theoretical near edge X-ray absorption fine structure (NEXAFS) spectra describing oxygen 1s core excitation have been evaluated for the differently coordinated oxygen species appearing near the V₂O₃(0001) surface with half metal layer V^′OV termination. Adsorption of oxygen above vanadium centers of the V^′OV terminated surface (O_tV^′O termination) results in very strongly bound vanadyl oxygen, which has also been considered for core excitation in this study. The angle-resolved spectra are based on electronic structure calculations using ab initio density functional theory (DFT) together with model clusters. Experimental NEXAFS spectra for V₂O₃(0001) show a rather strong dependence of peak positions and relative intensities on the photon polarization direction. This dependence is well described by the present theoretical spectra and allows us to assign spectral details in the experiment to specific O 1s core excitations where final state orbitals are determined by the local binding environments of the differently coordinated oxygen centers. As a result, a combination of the present theoretical spectra with experimental NEXAFS data enables an identification of differently coordinated surface oxygen species at the V₂O₃(0001) surface.     

Structural Arrangement of Fe–Sb–O Catalysts

In iron–antimony catalysts containing excess antimony oxide and consisting of a mixture of FeSbO₄ and -Sb₂O₄ phases, the structure of iron antimonate changes compared to the catalyst with an equimolar composition, which is the pure FeSbO₄ phase. In the presence of excess antimony oxide in the near-surface layer of iron antimonate, extended defects with a structure of crystallographic shift are formed. These accumulate overstoichiometric antimony. Such a structural change is associated with changes in the acid–base properties and the surface oxygen binding strength.     

Effect of sodium oxide doping on solid-solid interactions between V2O5 AND Al2O3

A V₂O₅/Al₂O₃ mixed solids sample was prepared with a molar ratio of 0.41 Na₂O (4 and 10 mol%) was added in the form of sodium nitrate prior to calcination in air in the temperature range 500–1000C. Solid-solid interactions between V₂O₅ and Al₂O₃ were studied using DTA and TG curves and their derivatives together with XRD techniques.The results obtained showed that Na₂O interacted with V₂O₅ at temperatures starting from 500C to yield a sodium/vanadium compound, Na_0.3V₂O₅ which remained stable and decomposed in part by heating at 1000C. V₂O₅ exists in orthorhombic and monoclinic forms in the case of pure mixed solids and those containing 4 mol% of Na₂O and preheated at 500C, and in monoclinic form in the case of the mixed solid doped with 10 mol% of Na₂O.Heating of pure and doped mixed oxide solids at 650C resulted in the conversion of most of the V₂O₅ into AlVO₄. Doping with sodium oxide enhanced the solid-solid interaction between V₂O₅ and Al₂O₃ at 650C to produce AlVO₄. The produced AlVO₄ decomposed completely on heating at 700C to form -Al₂O₃ and V₂O₅, (orthorhombic and monoclinic forms).The presence of Na₂O was found to decrease the relative intensity of the diffraction lines of -Al₂O₃ (corundum) produced at 750C which indicated some kind of hindrance of the crystallization process.Heating of pure and doped mixed solids at 1000C resulted in a further crystallization of acorundum together with V₂O₅ and sodium vanadate, Na_0.3V₂O₅. However, the intensities of diffraction lines relative to those of the sodium vanadium compound were found to decrease markedly by heating at 1000C, indicating partial thermal decomposition into vanadium and aluminium oxides.     

The oxidative coupling of methane

Summary The oxidative coupling of methane to C₂ hydrocarbons was studied over a Bi₂O₃–P₂O₅–K₂O catalyst. Catalysts containing Bi and P are known to be active and selective catalysts for the oxidative dimerization of propylene to 1,5-hexadiene. This catalyst system was found to also be active and selective for the oxidative coupling of methane. The experimental results are interpreted in terms of a dual-site, redox model. Methane activation to form CH₃. is proposed to occur on Bi sites. The Bi site is subsequently reoxidized by bulk oxide ions and P becomes the oxygen inlet site. Adsorbed surface oxygen species reduce the selectivity to C₂ hydrocarbons.     

Vapor-phase oxidation of β-picoline to nicotinic acid on V2O5 and modified vanadium oxide catalysts

Modification of V₂O₅ with Ti, Sn, Zr, Nb, and Al oxides improves the activity and selectivity of the vanadium oxide catalyst in vapor-phase oxidation of β-picoline to give nicotinic acid. It is shown that the conversion of β-picoline and the yield of nicotinic acid on two-component V₂O₅-TiO₂, V₂O₅-SnO₂, V₂O₅-ZtrO₂, V₂O₅-Nb₂O₅, and V₂O₅-Al₂O₃ catalysts may be several times those on the V₂O₅ catalyst. It was found that, on passing from V₂O₅ to double-component vanadium-containing catalysts, the proton affinity of active oxygen bonded to vanadium, calculated by the quantum-chemical method, grows simultaneously with the increase in the activity of the catalysts in the oxidation reaction.