211At on gold nanoparticles for targeted radionuclide therapy application.

Targeted alpha therapy (TAT) is a methodology that is being developed as a promising cancer treatment using the α-particle decay of radionuclides. This technique involves the use of heavy radioactive elements being placed near the cancer target area to cause maximum damage to the cancer cells while minimizing the damage to healthy cells. Using gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) as carriers, a more effective therapy methodology may be realized. AuNPs can be good candidates for transporting these radionuclides to the vicinity of the cancer cells since they can be labeled not just with the radionuclides, but also a host of other proteins and ligands to target these cells and serve as additional treatment options. Research has shown that astatine and iodine are capable of adsorbing onto the surface of gold, creating a covalent bond that is quite stable for use in experiments. However, there are still many challenges that lie ahead in this area, whether they be theoretical, experimental, and even in real-life applications. This review will cover some of the major developments, as well as the current state of technology, and the problems that need to be tackled as this research topic moves along to maturity. The hope is that with more workers joining the field, we can make a positive impact on society, in addition to bringing improvement and more knowledge to science.

Theoretical Study of an almost Barrier-Free Water Dissociation on a Platinum (111) Surface Alloyed with Ruthenium and Molybdenum.

A theoretical study based on density functional theory for H2O dissociation on the metal surface of Pt(111) alloyed simultaneously with Ru and Mo was performed. The determination of the minimum energy path using the climbing image nudged elastic band (CI-NEB) method shows that the dissociation reaction of H2O with this catalyst requires almost no energy cost. This dissociation reaction is not only kinetically favored but also almost thermodynamically neutral and somewhat exothermic. The electronic structure analysis showed that much more charge was released in Mo and was used to bind the adsorbed hydroxyl (OHad). Further analyses of the density of states (DOS) showed that the large number of orbitals that overlap when OH binds to Mo are responsible for the stabilization of the OH-surface bond. The stability of the OHad fragment on the surface is believed to be a descriptor for the dissociation of H2O with an almost spontaneous process.

PdRuIr ternary alloy as an effective NO reduction catalyst: insights from first-principles calculation.

NO dissociation is an important reaction step in the NO reduction reaction, particularly in the three-way catalyst conversion system for automotive gas exhaust purification. In this study, we used first-principles calculations based on density functional theory to analyze the interaction and dissociation of NO on the PdRuIr ternary alloy. The electronic properties of the atomic combination of the PdRuIr ternary alloy create an effective catalyst that is active for NO dissociation and relatively stable against the formation of volatile RuOx through a weakened O adsorption. This study also shows that for an alloyed system, the strength of NO adsorption may not necessarily predict the dissociation activity. This tendency is observed in the PdRuIr ternary alloy where Ru top is the active site for NO adsorption albeit not an effective site for dissociation. It is presumed that NO dissociation is mediated by its molecular diffusion to active sites for dissociation, which are usually high Ru- and/or Ir-coordinated hollow or bridge sites. These active sites allow high charge transfer from the surface to NO, which fills the NO anti-bonding state and facilitates dissociation. This therefore assumes that the strength of NO molecular adsorption is not a descriptor for NO dissociation on metal alloys but rather the ability of the surface to transfer charge to NO and homogeneity of the strength of adsorption. Furthermore, O adsorption on the ternary alloy, particularly near the Ru sites, is relatively weaker as compared to the pure Ru surface. This weakened O adsorption is attributed to charge re-distribution through alloying, particularly charge transfer from the Ru atom to the Ir and Pd atoms.

Density Functional Theory-Based Calculation Shed New Light on the Bizarre Addition of Cysteine Thiol to Dopaquinone.

Two types of melanin pigments, brown to black eumelanin and yellow to reddish brown pheomelanin, are biosynthesized through a branched reaction, which is associated with the key intermediate dopaquinone (DQ). In the presence of l-cysteine, DQ immediately binds to the -SH group, resulting in the formation of cysteinyldopa necessary for the pheomelanin production. l-Cysteine prefers to bond with aromatic carbons adjacent to the carbonyl groups, namely C5 and C2. Surprisingly, this Michael addition takes place at 1,6-position of the C5 (and to some extent at C2) rather than usually expected 1,4-position. Such an anomaly on the reactivity necessitates an atomic-scale understanding of the binding mechanism. Using density functional theory-based calculations, we investigated the binding of l-cysteine thiolate (Cys-S-) to DQ. Interestingly, the C2-S bonded intermediate was less energetically stable than the C6-S bonded case. Furthermore, the most preferred Cys-S--attacked intermediate is at the carbon-carbon bridge between the two carbonyls (C3-C4 bridge site) but not on the C5 site. This structure allows the Cys-S- to migrate onto the adjacent C5 or C2 with small activation energies. Further simulation demonstrated a possible conversion pathway of the C5-S (and C2-S) intermediate into 5-S-cysteinyldopa (and 2-S-cysteinyldopa), which is the experimentally identified major (and minor) product. Based on the results, we propose that the binding of Cys-S- to DQ proceeds via the following path: (i) coordination of Cys-S- to C3-C4 bridge, (ii) migration of Cys-S- to C5 (C2), (iii) proton rearrangement from cysteinyl -NH3+ to O4 (O3), and (iv) proton rearrangement from C5 (C2) to O3 (O4).

Cluster size effects on the adsorption of CO, O, and CO2 and the dissociation of CO2 on two-dimensional Cu x (x = 1, 3, and 7) clusters supported on Cu(111) surface: a density functional theory study.

In this study, we performed density functional theory based calculations to determine the effect of the size of Cu x (x = 1 (adatom), 3 (trimer), 7 (heptamer)) clusters supported on Cu(111) toward the adsorption of CO, O, and CO2, and the dissociation of CO2. CO adsorbs with comparable adsorption energies on the different cluster systems, which are influenced by the reactivity of the Cu atoms in the cluster and the interaction of CO with the Cu atoms in the terrace. The O atom, on the other hand, will always favor to adsorb on hollow sites and is more stable on the hollow sites of smaller clusters. CO2 dissociates with lower activation energy on the cluster region than on flat Cu(111). We obtained the lowest activation energy on Cu3 due to its more reactive Cu atoms than the Cu7 case and due to the possibility of O to adsorb on the cluster region, which is not observed in the Cu1 case. The presented results will provide insights on future studies on supported cluster systems and their possible use as catalysts for CO2-related reactions.

Dynamical Quantum Filtering via Enhanced Scattering of para-H2 on the Orientationally Anisotropic Potential of SrTiO3(001).

Quantum dynamics calculation, performed on top of density functional theory (DFT)-based total energy calculations, show dynamical quantum filtering via enhanced scattering of para-H2 on SrTiO3(001). We attribute this to the strongly orientation-dependent (electrostatic) interaction potential between the H2 (induced) quadrupole moment and the surface electric field gradient of ionic SrTiO3(001). These results suggest that ionic surfaces could function as a scattering/filtering media to realize rotationally state-resolved H2. This could find significant applications not only in H2 storage and transport, but also in realizing materials with pre-determined characteristic properties.

Vanadium doped polyoxometalate: induced active sites and increased hydrogen adsorption.

We analyzed the electronic and structural properties of an α-Keggin type molybdenum-based polyoxometalate (POM) [[PMo12O40]3-] and its capacity for reduction reaction via H adsorption using ab initio calculations based on density functional theory (DFT). We also determined the change in the electronic properties brought about by vanadium substitutional doping, and its effect on the capacity of POM to adsorb H atom. We found that the optimal substitutional doping of four vanadium per one unit of POM is adequate to maintain its structural stability. Furthermore, increasing dopant concentration changes charge redistribution such that it induces charge transfer to an initially less active sites for H adsorption on pristine POM. This may increase the possibility of creating active sites from an initially inert H adsorption sites and allows for a higher density of H adsorption. This phenomenon could be relevant for chemical reactions that initially requires high number of pre-adsorbed H atoms.

Interaction of CO, O, and CO2 with Cu cluster supported on Cu(1 1 1): a density functional theory study.

We performed density functional theory (DFT) based calculations to investigate the interaction of CO2 and its dissociated species (CO and O) on Cu3 cluster supported on Cu(1 1 1) (Cu3/Cu(1 1 1)) surfaces. Similar investigations were conducted on Cu(1 1 1) for purpose of comparison. In general, adsorption of CO and O are stronger on the cluster region than on the terrace region of Cu3/Cu and on the flat Cu surface. CO2, on the other hand, is weakly adsorbed on the surfaces. With reference to CO2 dissociation on Cu(1 1 1), we found that the cluster lowers the activation barrier and provides a more stable adsorption of the dissociated species. The presence of co-adsorbed CO in the cluster, however, will increase the activation energy. The variation in the activation barrier with the amount of CO is influenced by the stability of the O atom from the dissociated CO2. We further found that the adsorption energy of O atom is a possible descriptor for CO2 dissociation on the cluster region. The Cu cluster supported on Cu surface could be a promising catalyst for CO2 related reactions based on the lower activation energy for CO2 dissociation on the system than on Cu(1 1 1).

Investigation of reverse ionic diffusion in forward-osmosis-aided dewatering of microalgae: A molecular dynamics study.

This study aimed to investigate the transport mechanisms of ions during forward-osmosis-driven (FO-driven) dewatering of microalgae using molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. The dynamical and structural properties of ions in FO systems of varying NaCl or MgCl2 draw solution (DS) concentrations were calculated and correlated. Results indicate that FO systems with higher DS concentration caused ions to have lower hydration numbers and higher coordination numbers leading to lower diffusion coefficients. The higher hydration number of Mg2+ ions resulted in significantly lower ionic permeability as compared to Na+ ions at all concentrations (p = 0.002). The simulations also revealed that higher DS concentrations led to higher accumulation of ions in the membrane. This study provides insights on the proper selection of DS for FO systems.

Tuning methane decomposition on stepped Ni surface: The role of subsurface atoms in catalyst design.

The decomposition of methane (CH4) is a catalytically important reaction in the production of syngas that is used to make a wide spectrum of hydrocarbons and alcohols, and a principal carbon deposition pathway in methane reforming. Literatures suggest that stepped Ni surface is uniquely selective toward methane decomposition to atomic C, contrary to other catalysts that favor the CH fragment. In this paper, we used dispersion-corrected density functional theory-based first principles calculations to identify the electronic factors that govern this interesting property of stepped Ni surface. We found that the adsorption of atomic C on this surface is uniquely characterized by a 5-coordinated bonding of C with Ni atoms from both the surface and subsurface layers. Comparison with Ru surface indicates the importance of the subsurface atoms of stepped Ni surface on its selectivity toward methane decomposition to atomic C. Interestingly, we found that substituting these subsurface atoms with other elements can dramatically change the reaction mechanism of methane decomposition, suggesting a new approach to catalyst design for hydrocarbon reforming applications.

First principles study of methane decomposition on B5 step-edge type site of Ru surface.

Many chemical reactions that produce a wide range of hydrocarbons and alcohols involve the breaking of C-H bonds in methane. In this paper, we analyzed the decomposition of this molecule on the B5 step-edge type site of Ru surface using first principles calculations based on dispersion-corrected density functional theory. Methane was found to be weakly adsorbed on the surface, characterized by the hybridization of its sp states with Ru-d xz,yz,zz states. Dissociative adsorption is energetically preferred over molecular methane adsorption, resulting in CH fragment. CH is strongly adsorbed on the surface due to the prevalence of low-energy sp-d bonding interaction over the electron-unoccupied anti-bonding states. This highly stable CH requires higher activation barrier for C-H bond cleavage than CH4.

Ru-Catalyzed Steam Methane Reforming: Mechanistic Study from First Principles Calculations.

Elucidating the reaction mechanism of steam methane reforming (SMR) is imperative for the rational design of catalysts for efficient hydrogen production. In this paper, we provide mechanistic insights into SMR on Ru surface using first principles calculations based on dispersion-corrected density functional theory. Methane activation (i.e., C-H bond cleavage) was found to proceed via a thermodynamically exothermic dissociative adsorption process, resulting in (CH y + zH)* species ("*" denotes a surface-bound state, and y + z = 4), with C* and CH* being the most stable adsorbates. The calculation of activation barriers suggests that the conversion of C* into O-containing species via C-O bond formation is kinetically slow, indicating that the surface reaction of carbon intermediates with oxygen is a possible rate-determining step. The results suggest the importance of subsequent elementary reactions following methane activation in determining the formation of stable carbon structures on the surface that deactivates the catalyst or the conversion of carbon into O-containing species.

Experimental and Theoretical Studies on Oxidation of Cu-Au Alloy Surfaces: Effect of Bulk Au Concentration.

We report results of our experimental and theoretical studies on the oxidation of Cu-Au alloy surfaces, viz., Cu3Au(111), CuAu(111), and Au3Cu(111), using hyperthermal O2 molecular beam (HOMB). We observed strong Au segregation to the top layer of the corresponding clean (111) surfaces. This forms a protective layer that hinders further oxidation into the bulk. The higher the concentration of Au in the protective layer formed, the higher the protective efficacy. As a result, of the three Cu-Au surfaces studied, Au3Cu(111) is the most stable against dissociative adsorption of O2, even with HOMB. We also found that this protective property breaks down for oxidations occurring at temperatures above 300 K.

C2H4 adsorption on Cu(210), revisited: bonding nature and coverage effects.

With the aid of density functional theory (DFT)-based calculations, we investigate the adsorption of C2H4 on Cu(210). We found two C2H4 adsorption sites, viz., the top of the step-edge atom (S) and the long bridge between two step-edge atoms (SS) of Cu(210). The step-edge atoms on Cu(210) block the otherwise active terrace sites found on copper surfaces with longer step sizes. This results in the preference for π-bonded over di-σ-bonded C2H4. We also found two stable C2H4 adsorption orientations on the S- and SS-sites, viz., with the C2H4 C[double bond, length as m-dash]C bond parallel (fit) and perpendicular (cross) to [001]. Furthermore, we found that the three peaks observed in previous temperature programmed desorption (TPD) experiment [Surf. Sci., 2011, 605, 934-940] could be attributed to C2H4 in the S-fit or S-cross, S-fit and S-cross-fit (S-cross and S-fit configurations that both exist in the same unit cell) configurations on Cu(210).

Mechanism of dopachrome tautomerization into 5,6-dihydroxyindole-2-carboxylic acid catalyzed by Cu(II) based on quantum chemical calculations.

BACKGROUND: Tautomerization of dopachrome to 5,6-dihydroxyindole-2-carboxylic acid (DHICA) is a biologically crucial reaction relevant to melanin synthesis, cellular antioxidation, and cross-talk among epidermal cells. Since dopachrome spontaneously converts into 5,6-dihydroxyindole (DHI) via decarboxylation without any enzymes at physiologically usual pH, the mechanism of how tautomerization to DHICA occurs in physiological system is a subject of intense debate. A previous work has found that Cu(II) is an important factor to catalyze the tautomerization of dopachrome to DHICA. However, the effect of Cu(II) on the tautomerization has not been clarified at the atomic level. METHODS: We propose the reaction mechanism of the tautomerization to DHICA by Cu(II) from density functional theory-based calculation. RESULTS: We clarified that the activation barriers of α-deprotonation, ß-deprotonation, and decarboxylation from dopachrome are significantly reduced by coordination of Cu(II) to quinonoid oxygens (5,6-oxygens) of dopachrome, with the lowest activation barrier of ß-deprotonation among them. In contrast to our previous work, in which ß-deprotonation and quinonoid protonation (O5/O6-protonation) were shown to be important to form DHI, our results show that the Cu(II) coordination to quinonoid oxygens inhibits the quinonoid protonation, leading to the preference of proton rearrangement from ß-carbon to carboxylate group but not to the quinonoid oxygens. CONCLUSION: Integrating these results, we conclude that dopachrome tautomerization first proceeds via proton rearrangement from ß-carbon to carboxylate group and subsequently undergoes α-deprotonation to form DHICA. GENERAL SIGNIFICANCE: This study would provide the biochemical basis of DHICA metabolism and the generalized view of dopachrome conversion which is important to understand melanogenesis.

Oxygen reduction reaction on neighboring Fe-N4 and quaternary-N sites of pyrolized Fe/N/C catalyst.

We study the interaction between the TM-Nx and metal-free active sites of a pyrolized TM/N/C catalyst and its effect on their ORR activities. We particularly choose a Fe-N4-edge-graphene and a quaternary-N-doped zigzag edge as representatives of TM-Nx and the metal-free active sites, respectively. We find that the interaction of the Fe-N4 and quaternary-N-doped sites at the zigzag edge of graphene enhances the ORR free energy profile at the quaternary-N-doped site. However, the ORR free energy profile at the Fe-N4 site is not affected by this interaction.

Electrocatalysis of borohydride oxidation: a review of density functional theory approach combined with experimental validation.

The electrocatalysis of borohydride oxidation is a complex, up-to-eight-electron transfer process, which is essential for development of efficient direct borohydride fuel cells. Here we review the progress achieved by density functional theory (DFT) calculations in explaining the adsorption of BH4(-) on various catalyst surfaces, with implications for electrocatalyst screening and selection. Wherever possible, we correlate the theoretical predictions with experimental findings, in order to validate the proposed models and to identify potential directions for further advancements.

The effects of alloying and segregation for the reactivity and diffusion of oxygen on Cu3Au(111).

We report results of the segregation induced by the adsorption of O2 and the barrier of the formation of Cu2O in Cu3Au(111) with an experimental and theoretical approach. Oxidation by a hyperthermal O2 molecular beam (HOMB) was investigated by X-ray photoemission spectroscopy in conjunction with a synchrotron light source. From the incident-energy dependence of the measured O-uptake curve, dissociative adsorption of O2 is less effective on Cu3Au(111) than on Cu(111). The dissociative adsorption is accompanied by the Cu segregation on Cu3Au(111) as well as on Cu3Au(100) and Cu3Au(110). The obvious growth of Cu2O for a 2.3 eV HOMB cannot be observed and it suggests that the Au-rich protective layers prevent the diffusion of O atoms into the bulk. The theoretical approach based on density functional theory indicates that O adsorption shows the same behavior on Cu3Au(111) and on Cu(111). For the diffusion case, the barrier to diffuse into the subsurface in segregated Cu3Au(111) is higher than in Cu(111). This indicates that the segregated Au-rich layer in Cu3Au(111) works as a protective layer.

First principles investigation of the initial stage of H-induced missing-row reconstruction of Pd(110) surface.

The pathway of H diffusion that will induce the migration of Pd atom is investigated by employing first principles calculations based on density functional theory to explain the origin of missing-row reconstruction of Pd(110).The calculated activation barrier and the H-induced reconstruction energy reveal that the long bridge-to-tetrahedral configuration is the energetically favored process for the initial stage of reconstruction phenomenon. While the H diffusion triggers the migration of Pd atom, it is the latter process that significantly contributes to the activated missing-row reconstruction of Pd(110). Nonetheless, the strong interaction between the diffusing H and the Pd atoms dictates the occurrence of reconstructed surface.

First-principles calculation on oxygen ion migration in alkaline-earth doped La2GeO5.

By using first-principles calculations based on the density functional theory, we investigated the doping effects of alkaline-earth metals (Ba, Sr and Ca) in monoclinic lanthanum germanate La2GeO5 on its oxygen ion conduction. Although the lattice parameters of the doped systems changed due to the ionic radii mismatch, the crystal structures remained monoclinic. The contribution of each atomic orbital to electronic densities of states was evaluated from the partial densities of states and partial charge densities. It was confirmed that the materials behaved as ionic crystals comprising of cations of La and dopants and anions of oxygen and covalently formed GeO4. The doping effect on the activation barrier for oxygen hopping to the most stable oxygen vacancy site was investigated by the climbing-image nudged elastic band method. By tracing the charge density change during the hopping, it was confirmed that the oxygen motion is governed by covalent interactions. The obtained activation barriers showed excellent quantitative agreements with an experiment for the Ca- and Sr-doped systems in low temperatures as well as the qualitative trend, including the Ba-doped system.