Theoretical Description of the Role of Halides, Silver, and Surfactants on the Structure of Gold Nanorods

Density functional theory simulations including dispersion provide an atomistic description of the role of different compounds in the synthesis of gold-nanorods. Anisotropy is caused by the formation of a complex between the surfactant, bromine, and silver that preferentially adsorbs on some facets of the seeds, blocking them from further growth. In turn, the nanorod structure is driven by the perferential adsorption of the surfactant, which induces the appearance of open {520} lateral facets

In situ surface coverage analysis of RuO₂-catalysed HCl oxidation reveals the entropic origin of compensation in heterogeneous catalysis

In heterogeneous catalysis, rates with Arrhenius-like temperature dependence are ubiquitous. Compensation phenomena, which arise from the linear correlation between the apparent activation energy and the logarithm of the apparent pre-exponential factor, are also common. Here, we study the origin of compensation and find a similar dependence on the rate-limiting surface coverage term for each Arrhenius parameter. This result is derived from an experimental determination of the surface coverage of oxygen and chlorine species using temporal analysis of products and prompt gamma activation analysis during HCl oxidation to Cl2 on a RuO2 catalyst. It is also substantiated by theory. We find that compensation phenomena appear when the effect on the apparent activation energy caused by changes in surface coverage is balanced out by the entropic configuration contributions of the surface. This result sets a new paradigm in understanding the interplay of compensation effects with the kinetics of heterogeneously catalysed processes

Performance, structure, and mechanism of CeO₂ in HCl oxidation to Cl₂

Experimental and theoretical studies reveal performance descriptors and provide molecular-level understanding of HCl oxidation over CeO2. Steady-state kinetics and characterization indicate that CeO2 attains a significant activity level, which is associated with the presence of oxygen vacancies. Calcination of CeO2 at 1173 K prior to reaction maximizes both the number of vacancies and the structural stability of the catalyst. X-ray diffraction and electron microscopy of samples exposed to reaction feeds with different O2/HCl ratios provide evidence that CeO2 does not suffer from bulk chlorination in O2-rich feeds (O2/HCl ≥ 0.75), while it does form chlorinated phases in stoichiometric or sub-stoichiometric feeds (O2/HCl ≤ 0.25). Quantitative analysis of the chlorine uptake by thermogravimetry and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy indicates that chlorination under O2-rich conditions is limited to few surface and sub-surface layers of CeO2 particles, in line with the high energy computed for the transfer of Cl from surface to sub-surface positions. Exposure of chlorinated samples to a Deacon mixture with excess oxygen rapidly restores the original activity levels, highlighting the dynamic response of CeO2 outermost layers to feeds of different composition. Density functional theory simulations reveal that Cl activation from vacancy positions to surface Ce atoms is the most energy-demanding step, although chorine-oxygen competition for the available active sites may render re-oxidation as the rate-determining step. The substantial and remarkably stable Cl2 production and the lower of CeO2 make it an attractive alternative to RuO2 for catalytic chlorine recycling in industry

Structure dependence of Pt surface activated ammonia oxidation

Computational advances that enable the prediction of the structures and the energies of surface reaction intermediates are providing essential information to the formulation of theories of surface chemical reactivity. In this contribution this is illustrated for the activation of ammonia by coadsorbed oxygen and hydroxyl on the Pt(111), Pt(100), and Pt(211) surfaces

Ammonia dissociation on Pt{100} Pt{111}, and Pt{211}: A comparative density functional theory study

D. functional theory (DFT) calcns. are performed to compare the dissocn. of NHx (x = 1-3) species on the Pt{100}, Pt{111}, and Pt{211} surface. Pt{211} is a stepped surface, and Pt{100} consists of square arranged surface atoms. Both surfaces are less compact than Pt{111}. The question is addressed whether the Pt{100} and the Pt{211} surface promote the dissocn. of NHx species by lowering the activation barriers with respect to Pt{111}. The NH dissocn. reaction is promoted on Pt{100} but not on Pt{211}. The NH2 dissocn. reaction is neither promoted by Pt{100} nor Pt{211}. The dissocn. of NH3 is also not promoted and turns out to be a two-step reaction on the platinum surfaces. Atop-bonded NH2 is intermediate and equally stable on the three surfaces. The nature of the transition states, which is late in the formation and early in the rearrangement of this atop-bonded NH2, makes the barriers almost independent of the surface topol. Because the reaction energies of the NHx dissocn. reactions do depend on the surface topol. the findings are unexpected, but they are consistent with an exptl. found moderate structure sensitivity of the ammonia decompn. on platinum