| 1. |
- Eliasson, Henrik, et al.
(author)
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Support-facet-dependent morphology of small Pt particles on ceria
- 2023
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In: Nanoscale. - 2040-3372 .- 2040-3364. ; 15:47, s. 19091-19098
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Direct atomic scale information on how the structure of supported nanoparticles is affected by the metal-support interaction is rare. Using scanning transmission electron microscopy, we provide direct evidence of a facet-dependent support interaction for Pt nanoparticles on CeO2, governing the dimensionality of small platinum particles. Our findings indicate that particles consisting of less than ∼130 atoms prefer a 3D shape on CeO2(111) facets, while 2D raft structures are favored on CeO2(100) facets. Measurements of stationary particles on both surface facets are supplemented by time resolved measurements following a single particle with atomic resolution as it migrates from CeO2(111) to CeO2(100), undergoing a dimensionality change from 3D to 2D. The intricate transformation mechanism reveals how the 3D particle disassembles and completely wets a neighboring CeO2(100) facet. Density functional theory calculations confirm the structure-trend and reveal the thermodynamic driving force for the migration of small particles. Knowledge of the presented metal-support interactions is crucial to establish structure-function relationships in a range of applications based on supported nanostructures.
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| 2. |
- Engedahl, Unni, 1990, et al.
(author)
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Complete Reaction Cycle for Methane-to-Methanol Conversion over Cu-SSZ-13: First-Principles Calculations and Microkinetic Modeling
- 2021
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In: Journal of Physical Chemistry C. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 1932-7447 .- 1932-7455. ; 125:27, s. 14681-14688
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The steadily increasing consumption of natural gas imposes a need to facilitate the handling and distribution of the fuel, which presently is compressed or condensed. Alternatively, reduced volatility and increased tractability are achieved by converting the chemical energy of the main component, methane, into liquid methanol. Previous studies have explored direct methane-to-methanol conversion, but suitable catalysts have not yet been identified. Here, the complete reaction cycle for methane-to-methanol conversion over the Cu-SSZ-13 system is studied using density functional theory. The first step in the reaction cycle is the migration of Cu species along the zeolite framework forming the Cu pair, which is necessary for the adsorption of O2. Methane conversion occurs over the CuOOCu and CuOCu sites, consecutively, after which the system is returned to its initial structure with two separate Cu ions. A density functional theory-based kinetic model shows high activity when water is included in the reaction mechanism, for example, even at very low partial pressures of water, the kinetic model results in a turnover frequency of ∼1 at 450 K. The apparent activation energy from the kinetic model (∼1.1 eV) is close to recent measurements. However, experimental studies always observe very small amounts of methanol compared to formation of more energetically preferred products, for example, CO2. This low selectivity to methanol is not described by the current reaction mechanism as it does not consider formation of other species; however, the results suggest that selectivity, rather than inherent kinetic limitations, is an important target for improving methanol yields from humid systems. Moreover, a closed reaction cycle for the partial oxidation of methane has long been sought, and in achieving this over the Cu-SSZ-13, this study contributes one more step toward identifying a suitable catalyst for direct methane-to-methanol conversion.
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| 3. |
- Engedahl, Unni, 1990, et al.
(author)
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Investigating the Composition of the Metal Dimer Site in Chabazite for Direct Methane-to-Methanol Conversion
- 2024
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In: Journal of Physical Chemistry C. - 1932-7447 .- 1932-7455. ; 128:9, s. 3641-3651
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Methanol is a liquid energy carrier that has the potential to reduce the use of fossil fuels. Industrial production of methanol is currently a multistep high-temperature/high-pressure synthesis route. Direct conversion of methane to methanol under low-temperature and low-pressure conditions is an interesting but challenging alternative, which presently lacks suitable catalysts. Here, the complete reaction cycle for direct methane-to-methanol conversion over transition-metal dimers in the chabazite zeolite is studied by using density functional theory calculations and microkinetic modeling. In particular, a reaction mechanism previously identified for the Cu2 dimer is explored under dry and wet conditions for dimers composed of Ag, Au, Pd, Ni, Co, Fe, and Zn and the bimetallic dimers AuCu, PdCu, and AuPd. The density-functional-theory-based microkinetic modeling shows that Cu2, AuPd, and PdCu dimers have reasonable turnover frequencies under technologically relevant conditions. The adsorption energy of atomic oxygen is identified as a descriptor for the reaction landscape as it correlates with the adsorption and transition-state energies of the other reaction intermediates. Using the established scaling relations, a volcano plot of the rate is generated with its apex close to the Cu2, AuPd, and PdCu dimers.
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| 4. |
- Abb, Marcel J.S., et al.
(author)
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Thermal Stability of Single-Crystalline IrO2(110) Layers : Spectroscopic and Adsorption Studies
- 2020
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In: Journal of Physical Chemistry C. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 1932-7447 .- 1932-7455. ; 124:28, s. 15324-15336
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The interaction of ultrathin single-crystalline IrO2(110) films with the gas phase proceeds via the coordinatively unsaturated sites (cus), in particular Ircus, the undercoordinated oxygen species on-top O (Oot) that are coordinated to Ircus, and bridging O (Obr). With the combination of different experimental techniques, such as thermal desorption spectroscopy, scanning tunneling microscopy (STM), high-resolution core-level spectroscopy (HRCLS), infrared spectroscopy, and first-principles studies employing density functional theory calculations, we are able to elucidate surface properties of single-crystalline IrO2(110). We provide spectroscopic fingerprints of the active surface sites of IrO2(110). The freshly prepared IrO2(110) surface is virtually inactive toward gas-phase molecules. The IrO2(110) surface needs to be activated by annealing to 500-600 K under ultrahigh vacuum (UHV) conditions. In the activation step, Ircus sites are liberated from on-top oxygen (Oot) and monoatomic Ir metal islands are formed on the surface, leading to the formation of a bifunctional model catalyst. Vacant Ircus sites of IrO2(110) allow for strong interaction and accommodation of molecules from the gas phase. For instance, CO can adsorb atop on Ircus and water forms a strongly bound water layer on the activated IrO2(110) surface. Single-crystalline IrO2(110) is thermally not very stable although chemically stable. Chemical reduction of IrO2(110) by extensive CO exposure at 473 K is not observed, which is in contrast to the prototypical RuO2(110) system.
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| 5. |
- Abdelgaid, Mona, et al.
(author)
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Multiscale modeling reveals aluminum nitride as an efficient propane dehydrogenation catalyst
- 2023
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In: Catalysis Science and Technology. - 2044-4753 .- 2044-4761. ; 13:12, s. 3527-3536
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Nonoxidative propane dehydrogenation (PDH) is a promising route to meet the steadily increasing demand for propylene, an important building block in the chemical industry. Wurtzite group-IIIA metal nitrides are potential catalysts for PDH with high chemical, thermal, and mechanical stability alongside inherent Lewis acid-base properties that can activate the C-H bond of alkanes. Herein, we investigate the catalytic behavior of pristine (AlN) and gallium-doped (Ga/AlN) aluminum nitride for PDH via concerted and various stepwise mechanisms using density functional theory (DFT) calculations and microkinetic modeling (MKM). The reaction profiles investigated with DFT calculations are used in MKM, which reveals that the stepwise mechanisms produce >99% of propylene on both AlN and Ga/AlN. AlN has approximately one order of magnitude higher activity than Ga/AlN due to lower barriers along the dominant PDH reaction pathway. In summary, we propose the potential application of AlN as an efficient dehydrogenation catalyst for the conversion of light alkanes into valuable olefins. In addition, we show that multiscale simulations are essential to evaluate the catalytic behavior of complex alkane conversion reaction networks and obtain activity trends for dehydrogenation catalysts.
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| 6. |
- Abrahamsson, Brita, 1989, et al.
(author)
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NOx Adsorption on ATiO(3)(001) Perovskite Surfaces
- 2015
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In: Journal of Physical Chemistry C. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 1932-7447 .- 1932-7455. ; 119:32, s. 18495-18503
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Density functional theory calculations have been used to explore NO adsorption on perovskite oxides surfaces ATiO(3)(001) with A = Ca, Sr, Ba. NO adsorbs weakly on all facets with no apparent A-ion dependence, whereas NO2 adsorbs preferably over AO-terminated surfaces with adsorption energies that correlate with the ionization potentials of the alkaline earth atoms. Simultaneous adsorption of NO and NO2 is found to substantially enhance the stability of the adsorbates owing to an oxide mediated electron-pairing mechanism. Stabilization is also predicted for NO/O-2 adsorption, and it is suggested that the presence of oxygen favors the formation of nitrite/nitrate pairs. It is found that the NOx adsorption properties can be modified by mixing alkaline earth cations in the perovskite framework. The results are put in context by comparison with NOx adsorption on the corresponding (001) facets of alkaline earth metal oxides and TiO2(110).
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| 7. |
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| 8. |
- Akola, J., et al.
(author)
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Thiolate-Protected Au-25 Superatoms as Building Blocks: Dimers and Crystals
- 2010
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In: Journal of Physical Chemistry C. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 1932-7447 .- 1932-7455. ; 114:38, s. 15986-15994
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- A particularly stable thiolate-protected gold nanocluster, Au-25(SR)(18), was structurally characterized from X-ray crystallography in 2008, and concomitantly its electronic and optical properties were analyzed via density functional theory. The robust geometry and a well-understood electronic structure of this cluster motivate explorations of properties of extended systems made out of Au-25(SR)(18) building blocks. As a first step in this direction, we analyze here structural, vibrational, electronic, and optical properties of the Au-25 cluster anion as it was observed in the crystalline environment and predict properties of cluster dimers, where the Au-25 units are linked together. via an aromatic dithiolate linker. We show that properties of each Au-25 unit of the dimer can be quite independently modified from the other by doping with a nonmagnetic (Pd) or magnetic (Mn) metal atom. We anticipate that material systems with interesting properties could be made from these building blocks, provided that a suitable chemistry for their controlled linking can be found.
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| 9. |
- Arvidsson, Adam, 1990, et al.
(author)
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Metal dimer sites in ZSM-5 zeolite for methane-to-methanol conversion from first-principles kinetic modelling: is the [Cu-O-Cu]2+ motif relevant for Ni, Co, Fe, Ag, and Au?
- 2017
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In: Catalysis Science and Technology. - : Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC). - 2044-4753 .- 2044-4761. ; 7:7, s. 1470-1477
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Direct methane-to-methanol conversion is a desired process whereby natural gas is transformed into an energy-rich liquid. It has been realised at ambient pressure and temperature in metal ion-exchanged zeolites, where especially copper-exchanged ZSM-5 has shown promising results. The nature of the active sites in these systems is, however, still under debate. The activity has been assigned to a [Cu-O-Cu]2+ motif. One remaining question is whether this motif is general and also active in other metal-exchanged zeolites. Herein, we use first-principles microkinetic modelling to analyse the methane-to-methanol reaction on the [Cu-O-Cu]2+ motif, for Cu and other metals. First, we identify the cluster model size needed to accurately describe the dimer motif. Starting from the [Cu-O-Cu]2+ site, the metal ions are then systematically substituted with Ni, Co, Fe, Ag and Au. The results show that activation of Ag and Au dimer sites with oxygen is endothermic and therefore unlikely, whereas for Cu, Ni, Co and Fe, the activation is possible under realistic conditions. According to the kinetic simulations, however, the dimer motif is a plausible candidate for the active site for Cu only. For Ni, Co and Fe, close-to-infinite reaction times or unreasonably high temperatures are required for sufficient methane conversion. As Ni-, Co- and Fe-exchanged ZSM-5 are known to convert methane to methanol, these results indicate that the Cu-based dimer motif is not an appropriate model system for these metals.
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| 10. |
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