Graphene-Supported Pd Nanoclusters Probed by Carbon Monoxide Adsorption

The adsorption of CO on graphene-supported Pd nanoparticles was studied in situ with high-resolution synchrotron-based X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. At 150 K, CO adsorbs mainly in bridge and 3-fold-hollow sites. The nanoparticles are considered as a mixture of low-index facets. The variation of the amount of deposited Pd revealed identical CO adsorption behavior for all investigated cases, confirming a similar average cluster size over a wide range of Pd coverages. The desorption characteristics were studied with temperature-programmed XPS. The observed desorption maxima at 230 and 430 K are in good agreement with temperature-programmed desorption data on stepped Pd single crystals. At 500 K, CO is completely desorbed from the Pd clusters. The adsorption and desorption of CO are found to be not fully reversible as the Pd particles undergo restructuring upon heating

Graphene-Templated Growth of Pd Nanoclusters

Graphene grown on Rh(111) was used as a template for the growth of Pd nanoclusters. Using high-resolution synchrotron radiation-based X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, we studied the deposition of Pd on corrugated graphene in situ. From the XP spectra, we deduce a cluster-by-cluster growth mode. The formation of clusters with 3 nm diameter was confirmed by low-temperature scanning tunneling microscopy measurements. The investigation of the thermal stability of the Pd particles showed three characteristic temperature regimes: Up to 550 K restructuring of the particles takes place, between 550 and 750 K the clusters coalesce into larger agglomerates, and finally between 750 and 900 K Pd intercalates between the graphene layer and the Rh surface

Unraveling the Effect of Rh Isolation on Shallow d States of Gallium–Rhodium Alloys

In this study, we report the electronic and chemical structure of supported GaRh alloys as model systems for the active phase in supported catalytically active liquid metal solutions (SCALMS). We prepared a series of gallium–rhodium samples with different Rh contents and tracked the evolution of the sample topography and surface electronic structure via photoemission spectroscopy in combination with ab initio calculations and electron microscopy. Our results reveal a characteristic shift of the Rh 3d core levels and narrowing and shifting of the Rh 4d derived band with decreasing Rh content. Calculations show that these spectroscopic observations can be explained by the coexistence of isolated Rh atoms in random GaRh alloys and GaRh intermetallic compounds (IMCs). These results contribute to an enhancement of the fundamental understanding of the electronic surface structure of GaRh alloys, which is crucially required for apprehending and thus further exploiting the improved catalytic activity of GaRh SCALMS

Photochemical Energy Storage and Electrochemically Triggered Energy Release in the Norbornadiene–Quadricyclane System: UV Photochemistry and IR Spectroelectrochemistry in a Combined Experiment

The two valence isomers norbornadiene (NBD) and quadricyclane (QC) enable solar energy storage in a single molecule system. We present a new photoelectrochemical infrared reflection absorption spectroscopy (PEC-IRRAS) experiment, which allows monitoring of the complete energy storage and release cycle by in situ vibrational spectroscopy. Both processes were investigated, the photochemical conversion from NBD to QC using the photosensitizer 4,4′-bis­(dimethylamino)­benzophenone (Michler’s ketone, MK) and the electrochemically triggered cycloreversion from QC to NBD. Photochemical conversion was obtained with characteristic conversion times on the order of 500 ms. All experiments were performed under full potential control in a thin-layer configuration with a Pt(111) working electrode. The vibrational spectra of NBD, QC, and MK were analyzed in the fingerprint region, permitting quantitative analysis of the spectroscopic data. We determined selectivities for both the photochemical conversion and the electrochemical cycloreversion and identified the critical steps that limit the reversibility of the storage cycle

Graphene on Ni(111): Coexistence of Different Surface Structures

A combined high-resolution X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (HR-XPS) and ab initio density functional theory study on graphene on Ni(111) shows the coexistence of two structures, a bridge-top and a top-fcc structure, that have almost identical energies according to DFT calculations. Consequently, both geometries are detected simultaneously on the Ni(111) surface by HR-XPS, while their relative fractions depend on minor surface defect concentrations (pinning sites). The two structures are identified due to their different core level shifts that are in line with DFT calculations

Carbon Dioxide Capture by an Amine Functionalized Ionic Liquid: Fundamental Differences of Surface and Bulk Behavior

Carbon dioxide (CO₂) absorption by the amine-functionalized ionic liquid (IL) dihydroxyethyldimethylammonium taurinate at 310 K was studied using surface- and bulk-sensitive experimental techniques. From near-ambient pressure X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy at 0.9 mbar CO₂, the amount of captured CO₂ per mole of IL in the near-surface region is quantified to ∼0.58 mol, with ∼0.15 mol in form of carbamate dianions and ∼0.43 mol in form of carbamic acid. From isothermal uptake experiments combined with infrared spectroscopy, CO₂ is found to be bound in the bulk as carbamate (with nominally 0.5 mol of CO₂ bound per 1 mol of IL) up to ∼2.5 bar CO₂, and as carbamic acid (with nominally 1 mol CO₂ bound per 1 mol IL) at higher pressures. We attribute the fact that at low pressures carbamic acid is the dominating species in the near-surface region, while only carbamate is formed in the bulk, to differences in solvation in the outermost IL layers as compared to the bulk situation

Size and Structure Effects Controlling the Stability of the Liquid Organic Hydrogen Carrier Dodecahydro‑<i>N</i>‑ethylcarbazole during Dehydrogenation over Pt Model Catalysts

Hydrogen can be stored conveniently using so-called liquid organic hydrogen carriers (LOHCs), for example, <i>N</i>-ethylcarbazole (NEC), which can be reversibly hydrogenated to dodecahydro-<i>N</i>-ethylcarbazole (H₁₂-NEC). In this study, we focus on the dealkylation of H₁₂-NEC, an undesired side reaction, which competes with dehydrogenation. The structural sensivity of dealkylation was studied by high-resolution X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (HR-XPS) on Al₂O₃-supported Pt model catalysts and Pt(111) single crystals. We show that the morphology of the Pt deposit strongly influences LOHC degradation via C–N bond breakage. On smaller, defect-rich Pt particles, the onset of dealkylation is shifted by 90 K to lower temperatures as compared to large, well-shaped particles and well-ordered Pt(111). We attribute these effects to a reduced activation barrier for C–N bond breakage at low-coordinated Pt sites, which are abundant on small Pt aggregates but are rare on large particles and single crystal surfaces