DFT study on the reaction of O-2 dissociation catalyzed by gold surfaces doped with transition metal atoms

• Type: Article in International Scientific Journal
• Date: 2013

Authors

Jose L C Fajin (Author) FCUP; Natalia N D S Cordeiro (Author) FCUP; Jose R B Gomes (Author) Other

Journal

Title: Applied Catalysis A: General

Vol. 458

Pages: 90-102

ISSN: 0926-860X

Publisher: Elsevier

Indexing

ISI Web of Knowledge - 23 Citations

Scopus - 23 Citations

Scientific classification

FOS: Natural sciences > Chemical sciences

Other information

Authenticus ID: P-006-B67

DOI: 10.1016/j.apcata.2013.03.023

Abstract (EN): Periodic density functional theory (DFT) calculations have been used to study the effect of doping a gold model surface with atoms of other transition metals on the catalysis of the reaction of oxygen dissociation. It was found that the doping of gold surfaces with atoms of Rh, Ir or Ni stabilizes the adsorbate-surface interactions with a concomitant decrease of the activation energy barriers for the oxygen dissociation to values that are smaller than the adsorption energies of molecular oxygen (O-2*) on those surfaces. These findings suggest that O-2 dissociation is possible at normal conditions on these bimetallic surfaces, which is very relevant not only for the oxidation of CO to CO2 but for other oxidation reactions. In the case of the most active bimetallic surface obtained by doping with Ni atoms, it is shown that the reaction of CO oxidation is more favorable than the reaction of CO dissociation, i.e., suggesting that CO methanation will be less likely. Finally, useful relationships relating the activation energy barrier for the reaction of O-2 dissociation with the Bader charge in the doping element, with the reaction energy, with the adsorption energy of the reaction products and with the adsorption energy of an oxygen atom were obtained.

Language: English

Type (Professor's evaluation): Scientific

No. of pages: 13