Electrocatalytic Hydrogen Evolution at Full Atomic Utilization over ITO-Supported Sub-nano-Ptn Clusters: High, Size-Dependent Activity Controlled by Fluxional Pt Hydride Species.

A combination of density functional theory (DFT) and experiments with atomically size-selected Ptn clusters deposited on indium-tin oxide (ITO) electrodes was used to examine the effects of applied potential and Ptn size on the electrocatalytic activity of Ptn (n = 1, 4, 7, and 8) for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). Activity is found to be negligible for isolated Pt atoms on ITO, increasing rapidly with Ptn size such that Pt7/ITO and Pt8/ITO have roughly double the activity per Pt atom compared to atoms in the surface layer of polycrystalline Pt. Both the DFT and experiment find that hydrogen under-potential deposition (Hupd) results in Ptn/ITO (n = 4, 7, and 8) adsorbing ∼2H atoms/Pt atom at the HER threshold potential, equal to ca. double the Hupd observed for Pt bulk or nanoparticles. The cluster catalysts under electrocatalytic conditions are hence best described as a Pt hydride compound, significantly departing from a metallic Pt cluster. The exception is Pt1/ITO, where H adsorption at the HER threshold potential is energetically unfavorable. The theory combines global optimization with grand canonical approaches for the influence of potential, uncovering the fact that several metastable structures contribute to the HER, changing with the applied potential. It is hence critical to include reactions of the ensemble of energetically accessible PtnHx/ITO structures to correctly predict the activity vs Ptn size and applied potential. For the small clusters, spillover of Hads from the clusters to the ITO support is significant, resulting in a competing channel for loss of Hads, particularly at slow potential scan rates.

Hydrogen Evolution on Electrode-Supported Ptn Clusters: Ensemble of Hydride States Governs the Size Dependent Reactivity.

We report the size-dependent activity and stability of supported Pt1,4,7,8 for electrocatalytic hydrogen evolution reaction, and show that clusters outperform polycrystalline Pt in activity, with size-dependent stability. To understand the size effects, we use DFT calculations to study the structural fluxionality under varying potentials. We show that the clusters can reshape under H coverage and populate an ensemble of states with diverse stoichiometry, structure, and thus reactivity. Both experiment and theory suggest that electrocatalytic species are hydridic states of the clusters (≈2 H/Pt). An ensemble-based kinetic model reproduces the experimental activity trend and reveals the role of metastable states. The stability trend is rationalized by chemical bonding analysis. Our joint study demonstrates the potential- and adsorbate-coverage-dependent fluxionality of subnano clusters of different sizes and offers a systematic modeling strategy to tackle the complexities.

Room-Temperature Methane Activation Mediated by Free Tantalum Cluster Cations: Size-by-Size Reactivity.

The energetics of small cationic tantalum clusters and their gas-phase adsorption and dehydrogenation reaction pathways with methane are investigated with ion-trap experiments and spin-density-functional-theory calculations. Tan+ clusters are exposed to methane under multicollision conditions in a cryogenic ring electrode ion-trap. The cluster size affects the reaction efficiency and the number of consecutively dehydrogenated methane molecules. Small clusters (n = 1-4) dehydrogenate CH4 and concurrently eliminate H2, while larger clusters (n > 4) demonstrate only molecular adsorption of methane. Unique behavior is found for the Ta+ cation, which dehydrogenates consecutively up to four CH4 molecules and is predicted theoretically to promote formation of a [Ta(CH2-CH2-CH2)(CH2)]+ product, exhibiting C-C coupled groups. Underlying mechanisms, including reaction-enhancing couplings between potential energy surfaces of different spin-multiplicities, are uncovered.

An efficient laser vaporization source for chemically modified metal clusters characterized by thermodynamics and kinetics.

A laser vaporization cluster source that has a room for cluster aggregation and a reactor volume, each equipped with a pulsed valve, is presented for the efficient gas-phase production of chemically modified metal clusters. The performance of the cluster source is evaluated through the production of Ta and Ta oxide cluster cations, TaxOy+ (y ≥ 0). It is demonstrated that the cluster source produces TaxOy+ over a wide mass range, the metal-to-oxygen ratio of which can easily be controlled by changing the pulse duration that influences the amount of reactant O2 introduced into the cluster source. Reaction kinetic modeling shows that the generation of the oxides takes place under thermalized conditions at less than 300 K, whereas metal cluster cores are presumably created with excess heat. These characteristics are also advantageous to yield "reaction intermediates" of interest via reactions between clusters and reactive molecules in the cluster source, which may subsequently be mass selected for their reactivity measurements.

Multiple-decker and ring sandwich formation of manganese-benzene organometallic cluster anions: MnnBzn- (n = 1-5 and 18).

Organometallic multiple-decker sandwich clusters are topics of great interest due to their unique electronic and magnetic properties originating from anisotropic structures. We report a joint anion photoelectron spectroscopic and computational study on a new family of manganese (Mn)-benzene (Bz) anionic clusters MnnBzn-. In stark contrast to the most widely studied vanadium-Bz sandwich clusters, it is found that MnnBzn- (n = 1-5) clusters exhibit unprecedented multiple-decker structures with a tilted Mn-Bz stacking and a monotonically increasing behavior of their high spin multiplicities. Furthermore, a couple of closed ring forms of Mn18Bz18- and its neutral state are computationally anticipated as an intriguing "cluster of Mn1Bz1 clusters" in which the neutral Mn18Bz18 has extremely high C18h symmetry with an uncommon spin state of 2S + 1 = 55. The extensively delocalized electron environment of Mn18Bz18 allows the simple Hückel model to reveal the strong intra-atomic exchange interactions within the Mn 3d electrons.

Adiabatic electron affinity of pentacene and perfluoropentacene molecules studied by anion photoelectron spectroscopy: Molecular insights into electronic properties.

Pentacene (C22H14, PEN) and perfluoropentacene (C22F14, PFP) are considered promising building blocks of organic semiconductors. Using gas-phase anion photoelectron spectroscopy, the adiabatic electron affinity of PEN and PFP molecules is determined to be 1.43 ± 0.03 and 2.74 ± 0.03 eV, respectively, and the S0-T1 transition energies of PEN and PFP are evaluated to be 0.96 ± 0.06 and 0.72 ± 0.05 eV, respectively. Photoelectron spectra indicate that the vibronic coupling in PFP is stronger than that in PEN. Quantum chemistry calculations demonstrate that the strong vibronic coupling originates from significant structural displacement upon electron injection to PFP.

Experimental and theoretical studies of the structural and electronic properties of vanadium-benzene sandwich clusters and their anions: V(n)Bz(n)(0/-) (n = 1-5) and V(n)Bz(n-1)(0/-) (n = 2-5).

One end open V(n)Bz(n)(-) (n = 1-5; Bz = benzene) and both ends open V(n)Bz(n-1)(-) (n = 2-5) vanadium-benzene cluster anions were studied using anion photoelectron spectroscopy and density functional calculations. The smaller (n ≤ 3) V(n)Bz(n) and V(n)Bz(n-1) clusters and corresponding anions were found to have structural isomers, whereas full-sandwiched V(n)Bz(n+1) clusters preferred to form multiple-decker sandwich structures. Several isomeric V2Bz2 structures were identified theoretically and the anion photoelectron spectra of V2Bz2(0/-) were explained well by the coexistence of two isomeric structures: (1) a V2-core structure sandwiched between benzene molecules and (2) an alternating sandwich structure with the spin state strongly dependent on the structure. The adiabatic electron affinity of both V(n)Bz(n) and V(n)Bz(n-1) was found to increase with the cluster size at larger sizes (n = 4 or 5) and approaches to that of V(n)Bz(n+1). The evolution of the structural and electronic properties of V(n)Bz(m) and V(n)Bz(m)(-) (m = n and n - 1) with size is discussed in comparison with V(n)Bz(n+1) and V(n)Bz(n+1)(-).

Experimental and theoretical studies on the electronic properties of vanadium-benzene sandwich cluster anions, V(n)Bz(n+1)- (n = 1-5).

Vanadium-benzene cluster anions, V(n)Bz(n+1)(-) (Bz = C(6)H(6)) were generated by laser ablation and supersonic jet methods, and studied using photoelectron spectroscopy. The density functional theory was employed to compute their geometric and electronic structures. It is concluded that the V(n)Bz(n+1)(-) anions exhibit multiple-decker sandwich structures similar to their corresponding neutrals, and the adiabatic electron affinity increases with the cluster size. Our computation shows that the excess electron of the anion occupies the d orbitals of the vanadium atoms and that it is delocalized one-dimensionally. Furthermore, a very large HOMO-LUMO gap difference between majority and minority spin orbitals is observed for both the neutrals and the anions, and the V(n)Bz(n+1)(0∕-) clusters are found to be completely spin-polarized. These facts confirm the possibility of using V(n)Bz(n+1) clusters as spin filters.