Bimetallic Ag-Pt Sub-nanometer Supported Clusters as Highly Efficient and Robust Oxidation Catalysts.

A combined experimental and theoretical investigation of Ag-Pt sub-nanometer clusters as heterogeneous catalysts in the CO→CO2 reaction (COox) is presented. Ag9 Pt2 and Ag9 Pt3 clusters are size-selected in the gas phase, deposited on an ultrathin amorphous alumina support, and tested as catalysts experimentally under realistic conditions and by first-principles simulations at realistic coverage. In situ GISAXS/TPRx demonstrates that the clusters do not sinter or deactivate even after prolonged exposure to reactants at high temperature, and present comparable, extremely high COox catalytic efficiency. Such high activity and stability are ascribed to a synergic role of Ag and Pt in ultranano-aggregates, in which Pt anchors the clusters to the support and binds and activates two CO molecules, while Ag binds and activates O2 , and Ag/Pt surface proximity disfavors poisoning by CO or oxidized species.

Carbon Dioxide Conversion to Methanol over Size-Selected Cu4 Clusters at Low Pressures.

The activation of CO2 and its hydrogenation to methanol are of much interest as a way to utilize captured CO2. Here, we investigate the use of size-selected Cu4 clusters supported on Al2O3 thin films for CO2 reduction in the presence of hydrogen. The catalytic activity was measured under near-atmospheric reaction conditions with a low CO2 partial pressure, and the oxidation state of the clusters was investigated by in situ grazing incidence X-ray absorption spectroscopy. The results indicate that size-selected Cu4 clusters are the most active low-pressure catalyst for catalytic CO2 conversion to CH3OH. Density functional theory calculations reveal that Cu4 clusters have a low activation barrier for conversion of CO2 to CH3OH. This study suggests that small Cu clusters may be excellent and efficient catalysts for the recycling of released CO2.

A near ambient pressure XPS study of subnanometer silver clusters on Al2O3 and TiO2 ultrathin film supports.

We have investigated model systems of silver clusters with different sizes (3 and 15 atoms) deposited on alumina and titania supports using ambient pressure X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The electronic structures of silver clusters and support materials are studied upon exposure to various atmospheres (ultrahigh vacuum, O2 and CO) at different temperatures. Compared to bulk silver, the binding energies of silver clusters are about 0.55 eV higher on TiO2 and 0.95 eV higher on Al2O3 due to the final state effect and the interaction with supports. No clear size effect of the silver XPS peak is observed on different silver clusters among these samples. Silver clusters on titania show better stability against sintering. Al 2p and Ti 2p core level peak positions of the alumina and titania support surfaces change upon exposure to oxygen while the Ag 3d core level position remains unchanged. We discuss the origin of these core level shifts and their implications for catalytic properties of Ag clusters.

Exploring similarities in reactivity of superatom species: a combined theoretical and experimental investigation.

The replacement of group 10-based materials by superatoms has gained great attention due to studies presenting similarities in electronic character and reactive nature between pairs. The current study extends the concept to systems of larger and varied composition as the pairs PdO(+) and ZrO(2)(+) as well as NiO(+) and TiO(2)(+) are interacted with C(2)H(4) and CO through DFT calculations and guided-ion-beam mass spectrometry. It is determined that the pairs readily oxidize C(2)H(4) while oxygen transfer is limited towards CO. Interestingly, within the reaction profiles for oxidation of C(2)H(4) by PdO(+) and NiO(+), a spin crossover is observed which greatly increases the exothermicity of the process. This investigation presents a major step in identifying replacements for expensive group 10 metals in catalytic materials.

Reactivity of stoichiometric titanium oxide cations.

We present the results of a reactivity study of titanium cationic clusters towards CO, C(2)H(2), C(2)H(4) and C(3)H(6) based on guided-ion-beam mass spectrometry and DFT calculations. We identified Ti(2)O(4)(+) and to a lesser extent TiO(2)(+) species which preferentially undergo oxidation reactions. An oxygen centered radical of Ti(2)O(4)(+) is responsible for selective oxidation. Energy profiles and MD simulations reveal the mechanisms of the reactions. Regeneration of the oxygen centered radical was achieved experimentally and theoretically through the reaction of N(2)O with Ti(2)O(3)(+).

Cooperative effects in the oxidation of CO by palladium oxide cations.

Cooperative reactivity plays an important role in the oxidation of CO to CO(2) by palladium oxide cations and offers insight into factors which influence catalysis. Comprehensive studies including guided-ion-beam mass spectrometry and theoretical investigations reveal the reaction products and profiles of PdO(2)(+) and PdO(3)(+) with CO through oxygen radical centers and dioxygen complexes bound to the Pd atom. O radical centers are more reactive than the dioxygen complexes, and experimental evidence of both direct and cooperative CO oxidation with the adsorption of two CO molecules are observed. The binding of multiple electron withdrawing CO molecules is found to increase the barrier heights for reactivity due to decreased binding of the secondary CO molecule, however, reactivity is enhanced by the increase in kinetic energy available to hurdle the barrier. We examine the effect of oxygen sites, cooperative ligands, and spin including two-state reactivity.

Cluster reactivity experiments: employing mass spectrometry to investigate the molecular level details of catalytic oxidation reactions.

Mass spectrometry is the most widely used tool in the study of the properties and reactivity of clusters in the gas phase. In this article, we demonstrate its use in investigating the molecular-level details of oxidation reactions occurring on the surfaces of heterogeneous catalysts via cluster reactivity experiments. Guided ion beam mass spectrometry (GIB-MS) employing a quadrupole-octopole-quadrupole (Q-O-Q) configuration enables mass-selected cluster ions to be reacted with various chemicals, providing insight into the effect of size, stoichiometry, and ionic charge state on the reactivity of catalyst materials. For positively charged tungsten oxide clusters, it is shown that species having the same stoichiometry as the bulk, WO(3)(+), W(2)O(6)(+), and W(3)O(9)(+), exhibit enhanced activity and selectivity for the transfer of a single oxygen atom to propylene (C(3)H(6)), suggesting the formation of propylene oxide (C(3)H(6)O), an important monomer used, for example, in the industrial production of plastics. Furthermore, the same stoichiometric clusters are demonstrated to be active for the oxidation of CO to CO(2), a reaction of significance to environmental pollution abatement. The findings reported herein suggest that the enhanced oxidation reactivity of these stoichiometric clusters may be due to the presence of radical oxygen centers (W-O) with elongated metal-oxygen bonds. The unique insights gained into bulk-phase oxidation catalysis through the application of mass spectrometry to cluster reactivity experiments are discussed.

Influence of charge state on catalytic oxidation reactions at metal oxide clusters containing radical oxygen centers.

Evidence obtained by guided-ion-beam mass spectrometry experiments and density functional theory calculations indicates that by adding one oxygen atom with a full octet of valence electrons (O(2-)) to stoichiometric cationic zirconium oxide clusters (ZrO(2))(x)(+) (x = 1-4), a series of anionic clusters (Zr(x)O(2x+1))(-) (x = 1-4) are formed which contain radical oxygen centers with elongated (elongation approximately 0.24 +/- 0.02 A) metal-oxygen bonds. These anionic clusters oxidize carbon monoxide, strongly associate acetylene, and weakly associate ethylene, in contrast to the cationic species which were found previously to be highly active toward the oxidation of all three molecules. Theoretical investigations indicate that a critical hydrogen transfer step necessary for the oxidation of ethylene and acetylene at metal oxide clusters containing radical oxygen centers is energetically favorable for cationic clusters but unfavorable for the corresponding anionic species. The calculated electrostatic potential of the cluster reveals that in the case of cations, a favorable interaction with nucleophilic molecules takes place over the whole surface of the (ZrO(2))(x)(+) (x = 1-4) clusters, compared to a restricted interaction of ethylene and acetylene with the less coordinated zirconium atom in the case of the anionic (Zr(x)O(2x+1))(-) (x = 1-4) species. Therefore, in spite of the common presence of a radical oxygen center in specific anionic and cationic stoichiometries, the extent to which various classes of reactions are promoted is influenced by charge state. Moreover, the (Zr(x)O(2x+1))(-) (x = 1-4) series of anionic clusters may be regenerated by reacting oxygen deficient clusters with a strong oxidizer. This indicates that not only cationic species, as shown previously, but also anionic clusters may promote multiple cycles of carbon monoxide oxidation.

Large effect of a small substitution: competition of dehydration with charge retention and coulomb explosion in gaseous [(bipy(R))Au(mu-O)2Au(bipy(R))]2+ dications.

Dinuclear gold(III) clusters with a rhombic Au(2)O(2) core and 2,2'-bipyridyl ligands substituted in the 6-position (bipy(R)) are examined by tandem mass spectrometry. Electrospray ionization of the hexafluorophosphate salts affords the complexes [(bipy(R))Au(mu-O)(2)Au(bipy(R))](2+) as free dications in the gas phase. The fragmentation behavior of the mass-selected dications is probed by means of collision-induced dissociation experiments which reveal an exceptionally pronounced effect of substitution. Thus, for the parent compound with R = H, i.e., [(bipy)Au(mu-O)(2)Au(bipy)](2+), fragmentation at the dicationic stage prevails to result in a loss of neutral H(2)O concomitant with an assumed rollover cyclometalation of the bipyridine ligands. In marked contrast, all complexes with alkyl substituents in the 6-position of the ligands (bipy(R) with R = CH(3), CH(CH(3))(2), CH(2)C(CH(3))(3), and 2,6-C(6)H(3)(CH(3))(2)) as well as the corresponding complex with 6,6'-dimethyl-2,2'-dipyridyl as a ligand exclusively undergo Coulomb explosion to produce two monocationic fragments. It is proposed that the additional steric strain introduced to the central Au(2)O(2) core by the substituents on the bipyridine ligand, in conjunction with the presence of oxidizable C-H bonds in the substituents, crucially affects the subtle balance between dication dissociation under maintenance of the 2-fold charge and Coulomb explosion into two singly charged fragments.

Using first principles calculations to interpret XANES experiments: extracting the size-dependence of the (p , T) phase diagram of sub-nanometer Cu clusters in an O2 environment.

We have used ab initio density functional theory together with ab initio atomistic thermodynamics, and in situ x-ray absorption near edge spectroscopy (XANES) experiments, to study the oxidation of sub-nanometer clusters of Cu n O x supported on a hydroxylated amorphous alumina substrate in an O2-rich environment. We obtain (p , T) phase diagrams: these differ notably for the nanoclusters compared to the bulk. Both the theory and experiment suggest that in the presence of oxygen, the cluster will oxidize from its elemental state to the oxidized state as the temperature decreases. We obtain a clear trend for the transition of Cu n → Cu n O n/2: we see that the smaller the cluster, the greater is the tendency toward oxidation. However, we do not see a monotonic size-dependent trend for the transition of Cu n O n/2 → Cu n O n . We suggest that theoretically computed Bader charges constitute a simple yet quantitative way to align experimental measures of XANES edges with theoretical calculations, so as to yield oxidation states for nanoclusters. Our results have important implications for the use of small clusters in fields such as nanocatalysis and nanomedicine.

Stoichiometric zirconium oxide cations as potential building blocks for cluster assembled catalysts.

Employing guided-ion-beam mass spectrometry, we identified a series of positively charged stoichiometric zirconium oxide clusters that exhibit enhanced activity and selectivity for three oxidation reactions of widespread chemical importance. Density functional theory calculations reveal that these clusters all contain the same active site consisting of a radical oxygen center with an elongated zirconium-oxygen bond. Calculated energy profiles demonstrate that each oxidation reaction is highly favorable energetically and involves easily surmountable barriers. Furthermore, the active stoichiometric clusters may be regenerated by reacting oxygen-deficient clusters with a strong oxidizer. This indicates that these species may promote multiple cycles of oxidation reactions and, therefore, exhibit true catalytic behavior. The stoichiometric clusters, having structures that resemble specific sites in bulk zirconia, are promising candidates for potential incorporation into a cluster assembled catalyst material.

Oxidation of CO by aluminum oxide cluster ions in the gas phase.

Small aluminum oxide cluster cations and anions, produced by laser vaporization, were investigated regarding their reactivity toward CO and N2O employing guided-ion-beam mass spectrometry. Clusters with the same stoichiometry as bulk alumina, Al2O3, exhibited atomic oxygen transfer products when reacted with CO, suggesting the formation of CO2. Anionic clusters were less reactive than cations but showed higher selectivity towards the transfer of only a single oxygen atom. Cationic clusters, in contrast, exhibited additional products corresponding to the sequential transfer of two oxygen atoms and the loss of an aluminum atom. To determine if these stoichiometric clusters could be generated from oxygen-deficient species, clusters having a stoichiometry with one less oxygen atom than bulk alumina, Al2O2, were reacted with N2O. Cationic clusters were found to be selectively oxidized to Al2O3(+), while anionic clusters added both one and two oxygen atoms forming Al2O3(-) and Al2O4(-). The oxygen-rich Al2O4(-) cluster exhibited comparable reactivity to Al2O3(-) when reacted with CO.

Influence of stoichiometry and charge state on the structure and reactivity of cobalt oxide clusters with CO.

Cationic and anionic cobalt oxide clusters, generated by laser vaporization, were studied using guided-ion-beam mass spectrometry to obtain insight into their structure and reactivity with carbon monoxide. Anionic clusters having the stoichiometries Co2O3(-), Co2O5(-), Co3O5(-) and Co3O6(-) were found to exhibit dominant products corresponding to the transfer of a single oxygen atom to CO, indicating the formation of CO 2. Cationic clusters, in contrast, displayed products resulting from the adsorption of CO onto the cluster accompanied by the loss of either molecular O 2 or cobalt oxide units. In addition, collision induced dissociation experiments were conducted with N 2 and inert xenon gas for the anionic clusters, and xenon gas for the cationic clusters. It was found that cationic clusters fragment preferentially through the loss of molecular O 2 whereas anionic clusters tend to lose both atomic oxygen and cobalt oxide units. To further analyze how stoichiometry and ionic charge state influence the structure of cobalt oxide clusters and their reactivity with CO, first principles theoretical electronic structure studies within the density functional theory framework were performed. The calculations show that the enhanced reactivity of specific anionic cobalt oxides with CO is due to their relatively low atomic oxygen dissociation energy which makes the oxidation of CO energetically favorable. For cationic cobalt oxide clusters, in contrast, the oxygen dissociation energies are calculated to be even lower than for the anionic species. However, in the cationic clusters, oxygen is calculated to bind preferentially in a less activated molecular O 2 form. Furthermore, the CO adsorption energy is calculated to be larger for cationic clusters than for anionic species. Therefore, the experimentally observed displacement of weakly bound O 2 units through the exothermic adsorption of CO onto positively charged cobalt oxides is energetically favorable. Our joint experimental and theoretical findings indicate that positively charged sites in bulk-phase cobalt oxides may serve to bind CO to the catalyst surface and specific negatively charged sites provide the activated oxygen which leads to the formation of CO 2. These results provide molecular level insight into how size, stoichiometry, and ionic charge state influence the oxidation of CO in the presence of cobalt oxides, an important reaction for environmental pollution abatement.

Water Oxidation by Size-Selected Co27 Clusters Supported on Fe2 O3.

The complexity of the water oxidation reaction makes understanding the role of individual catalytic sites critical to improving the process. Here, size-selected 27-atom cobalt clusters (Co27 ) deposited on hematite (Fe2 O3 ) anodes were tested for water oxidation activity. The uniformity of these anodes allows measurement of the activity of catalytic sites of well-defined nuclearity and known density. Grazing incidence X-ray absorption near-edge spectroscopy (GIXANES) characterization of the anodes before and after electrochemical cycling demonstrates that these Co27 clusters are stable to dissolution even in the harsh water oxidation electrochemical environment. They are also stable under illumination at the equivalent of 0.4 suns irradiation. The clusters show turnover rates for water oxidation that are comparable or higher than those reported for Pd- and Co-based materials or for hematite. The support for the Co27 clusters is Fe2 O3 grown by atomic layer deposition on a Si chip. We have chosen to deposit a Fe2 O3 layer that is only a few unit cells thick (2 nm), to remove complications related to exciton diffusion. We find that the electrocatalytic and the photoelectrocatalytic activity of the Co27 /Fe2 O3 material is significantly improved when the samples are annealed (with the clusters already deposited). Given that the support is thin and that the cluster deposition density is equivalent to approximately 5 % of an atomic monolayer, we suggest that annealing may significantly improve the exciton diffusion from the support to the catalytic moiety.

Catalysis by clusters with precise numbers of atoms.

Clusters that contain only a small number of atoms can exhibit unique and often unexpected properties. The clusters are of particular interest in catalysis because they can act as individual active sites, and minor changes in size and composition--such as the addition or removal of a single atom--can have a substantial influence on the activity and selectivity of a reaction. Here, we review recent progress in the synthesis and characterization of well-defined subnanometre clusters, and the understanding and exploitation of their catalytic properties. We examine work on size-selected supported clusters in ultrahigh-vacuum environments and under realistic reaction conditions, and explore the use of computational methods to provide a mechanistic understanding of their catalytic properties. We also highlight the potential of size-selected clusters to provide insights into important catalytic processes and their use in the development of novel catalytic systems.

Pronounced Size Dependence in Structure and Morphology of Gas-Phase Produced, Partially Oxidized Cobalt Nanoparticles under Catalytic Reaction Conditions.

It is generally accepted that optimal particle sizes are key for efficient nanocatalysis. Much less attention is paid to the role of morphology and atomic arrangement during catalytic reactions. Here, we unravel the structural, stoichiometric, and morphological evolution of gas-phase produced and partially oxidized cobalt nanoparticles in a broad size range. Particles with diameters between 1.4 and 22 nm generated in cluster sources are size selected and deposited on amorphous alumina (Al2O3) and ultrananocrystalline diamond (UNCD) films. A combination of different techniques is employed to monitor particle properties at the stages of production, exposure to ambient conditions, and catalytic reaction, in this case, the oxidative dehydrogenation of cyclohexane at elevated temperatures. A pronounced size dependence is found, naturally classifying the particles into three size regimes. While small and intermediate clusters essentially retain their compact morphology, large particles transform into hollow spheres due to the nanoscale Kirkendall effect. Depending on the substrate, an isotropic (Al2O3) or anisotropic (UNCD) Kirkendall effect is observed. The latter results in dramatic lateral size changes. Our results shed light on the interplay between chemical reactions and the catalyst's structure and provide an approach to tailor the cobalt oxide phase composition required for specific catalytic schemes.

Effect of the size-selective silver clusters on lithium peroxide morphology in lithium-oxygen batteries.

Lithium-oxygen batteries have the potential needed for long-range electric vehicles, but the charge and discharge chemistries are complex and not well understood. The active sites on cathode surfaces and their role in electrochemical reactions in aprotic lithium-oxygen cells are difficult to ascertain because the exact nature of the sites is unknown. Here we report the deposition of subnanometre silver clusters of exact size and number of atoms on passivated carbon to study the discharge process in lithium-oxygen cells. The results reveal dramatically different morphologies of the electrochemically grown lithium peroxide dependent on the size of the clusters. This dependence is found to be due to the influence of the cluster size on the formation mechanism, which also affects the charge process. The results of this study suggest that precise control of subnanometre surface structure on cathodes can be used as a means to improve the performance of lithium-oxygen cells.

Atomic layer deposition of a submonolayer catalyst for the enhanced photoelectrochemical performance of water oxidation with hematite.

Hematite photoanodes were coated with an ultrathin cobalt oxide layer by atomic layer deposition (ALD). The optimal coating-1 ALD cycle, which amounts to <1 monolayer of Co(OH)2/Co3O4-resulted in significantly enhanced photoelectrochemical water oxidation performance. A stable, 100-200 mV cathodic shift in the photocurrent onset potential was observed that is correlated to an order of magnitude reduction in the resistance to charge transfer at the Fe2O3/H2O interface. Furthermore, the optical transparency of the ultrathin Co(OH)2/Co3O4 coating establishes it as a particularly advantageous treatment for nanostructured water oxidation photoanodes. The photocurrent of catalyst-coated nanostructured inverse opal scaffold hematite photoanodes reached 0.81 and 2.1 mA/cm(2) at 1.23 and 1.53 V, respectively.

Size-dependent subnanometer Pd cluster (Pd4, Pd6, and Pd17) water oxidation electrocatalysis.

Water oxidation is a key catalytic step for electrical fuel generation. Recently, significant progress has been made in synthesizing electrocatalytic materials with reduced overpotentials and increased turnover rates, both key parameters enabling commercial use in electrolysis or solar to fuels applications. The complexity of both the catalytic materials and the water oxidation reaction makes understanding the catalytic site critical to improving the process. Here we study water oxidation in alkaline conditions using size-selected clusters of Pd to probe the relationship between cluster size and the water oxidation reaction. We find that Pd4 shows no reaction, while Pd6 and Pd17 deposited clusters are among the most active (in terms of turnover rate per Pd atom) catalysts known. Theoretical calculations suggest that this striking difference may be a demonstration that bridging Pd-Pd sites (which are only present in three-dimensional clusters) are active for the oxygen evolution reaction in Pd6O6. The ability to experimentally synthesize size-specific clusters allows direct comparison to this theory. The support electrode for these investigations is ultrananocrystalline diamond (UNCD). This material is thin enough to be electrically conducting and is chemically/electrochemically very stable. Even under the harsh experimental conditions (basic, high potential) typically employed for water oxidation catalysts, UNCD demonstrates a very wide potential electrochemical working window and shows only minor evidence of reaction. The system (soft-landed Pd4, Pd6, or Pd17 clusters on a UNCD Si-coated electrode) shows stable electrochemical potentials over several cycles, and synchrotron studies of the electrodes show no evidence for evolution or dissolution of either the electrode material or the clusters.