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© 2018 Elsevier Inc. Using a multi-technical approach, we studied the oxidation of anatase TiO 2 (1 0 1)-supported vanadium (V) clusters at room temperature. We found by ex situ XPS that the highest oxidation state is +4 at sub-monolayer coverage regardless of the O 2 pressure, and STM studies revealed that the initial oxidation proceeds through oxygen-induced disintegration of V clusters into monomeric VO 2 species. By contrast, for ∼2 monolayer V coverage, a partial oxidation to V 5+ is achieved. By in situ APXPS measurements, we found that V can be maintained in the V 5+ oxidation state irrespective of the coverage; however, in the sub-monolayer range, an O 2 pressure of at least ∼1 × 10 −5 mbar is needed. Our results suggest an enhanced reducibility of V in direct contact with the TiO 2 support compared to V in the 2nd layer, which is in line with the observed optimum V 2 O 5 loading in catalytic applications just slightly below a full monolayer. (Less)

In this study an analysis strategy towards using the resonant inelastic X-ray scattering (RIXS) technique more effectively compared with X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) is presented. In particular, the question of when RIXS brings extra information compared with XAS is addressed. To answer this question the RIXS plane is analysed using two models: (i) an exciton model and (ii) a continuum model. The continuum model describes the dipole pre-edge excitations while the exciton model describes the quadrupole excitations. Applying our approach to the experimental 1s2p RIXS planes of VO2 and TiO2, it is shown that only in the case of quadrupole excitations being present is additional information gained by RIXS compared with XAS. Combining this knowledge with methods to calculate the dipole contribution in XAS measurements gives scientists the opportunity to plan more effective experiments.

To understand the structure-reactivity relationships for mixed-metal oxide catalysts, well-defined systems are required. Mixtures of vanadia and titania (TiO2) are of particular interest for application in heterogeneous catalysis, with TiO2 often acting as the support. By utilizing high-resolution scanning tunneling microscopy, we studied the interaction of vanadium (V) with the anatase TiO2(101) surface in the sub-monolayer regime. At 80 K, metallic V nucleates into homogeneously distributed clusters onto the terraces with no preference for nucleation at the step edges. However, embedding of single V atoms into TiO2 occurs following annealing at room temperature. In conjunction with X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy data and density functional theory calculations, we propose that monomeric V atoms occupy positions of regular surface Ti sites, i.e., Ti atoms are substituted by V atoms.

The low catalytic hydrodesulfurization (HDS) activity toward sterically hindered sulfur-containing molecules is a main industrial challenge in order to obtain ultra-low sulfur diesel. In this study we report a combined Scanning Tunneling Microscopy (STM) and Density Functional Theory (DFT) investigation of the adsorption of the sterically hindered sulfur-containing molecule 4,6-dimethyldibenzothiophene (4,6-DMDBT) onto a hydrotreating model catalyst for the Co promoted MoS2 (CoMoS) phase. The molecular adsorption occurs exclusively on the Co-promoted S-edge, most predominantly in a precursor-like diffusive physisorption referred to as delocalized ππ-mode. 4,6-DMDBT adsorption directly in a S-edge sulfur vacancy is observed exclusively in S-edge corner vacancies in an adsorption configuration reflecting a σσ-coordination. STM movies reveal dynamic conversion between the σσ-mode and an on-top ππ-adsorption providing a link between different adsorption sites and hence between the hydrogenation and direct desulfurization pathways in HDS. The low overall direct desulfurization activity of 4,6-DMDBT and related molecules is consistent with the low occurrence of S-vacancies on CoMoS S-edges predicted under HDS conditions in this study.

For the first time, the standard and fast selective catalytic reduction of NO by NH3 are described in a complete catalytic cycle, that is able to produce the correct stoichiometry, while only allowing adsorption and desorption of stable molecules. The standard SCR reaction is a coupling of the activation of NO by O2 with the fast SCR reaction, enabled by the release of NO2. According to the scheme, the SCR reaction can be divided in an oxidation of the catalyst by NO + O2 and a reduction by NO + NH3; these steps together constitute a complete catalytic cycle. Furthermore both NO and NH3 are required in the reduction, and, nally, oxidation by NO + O2 or NO2 leads to the same state of the catalyst. These points are shown experimentally for a Cu-CHA catalyst, by combining in situ X-ray absorption spectrosocpy (XAS), electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). A consequence of the reaction scheme is that all intermediates in fast SCR are also part of the standard SCR cycle. The calculated activation energy by density functional theory (DFT) indicates that the oxidation of an NO molecule by O2 to a bidentate nitrate ligand is rate determining for standard SCR. Finally, the role of a nitrate/nitrite equilibrium and the possible in uence of Cu dimers and Brønsted sites are discussed, and an explanation is offered as to how a catalyst can be effective for SCR, while being a poor catalyst for NO oxidation to NO2.

The energetics, structures and activity of a monomeric VO3H/TiO2(001) catalyst are investigated for the selective catalytic reduction (SCR) reaction by the use of density functional theory (DFT). Furthermore we study the influences of a dopant substitute in the TiO2 support and its effects on the known properties of the SCR system such as Bronsted acidity and reducibility of vanadium. We find for the reduction part of the SCR mechanism that it involves two Ti-O-V oxygen sites. One is a hydroxyl possessing Bronsted acidity which contributes to the formation of NH4+, while the other accepts a proton which charge stabilizes the reduced active site. In the reduction the proton is donated to the latter due to a reaction between NH3 and NO that forms a H2NNO molecule which decomposes into N-2(g) and H2O(g). A dopant substitution of 10 different dopants: Si, Ge, Se, Zr, Sn, Te, Hf, V, Mo and W at each of the sites, which participate in the reaction, modifies the energetics and therefore the SCR activity. We find that Bronsted acidity is a descriptor for the SCR activity at low temperatures. Based on this descriptor we find that Zr, Hf and Sn have a positive effect as they decrease the activation energy for the SCR reaction.

Electronic structure calculations have become an indispensable tool in many areas of materials science and quantum chemistry. Even though the Kohn-Sham formulation of the density-functional theory (DFT) simplifies the many-body problem significantly, one is still confronted with several numerical challenges. In this article we present the projector augmented-wave (PAW) method as implemented in the GPAW program package (https://wiki.fysik.dtu.dk/gpaw) using a uniform real-space grid representation of the electronic wavefunctions. Compared to more traditional plane wave or localized basis set approaches, real-space grids offer several advantages, most notably good computational scalability and systematic convergence properties. However, as a unique feature GPAW also facilitates a localized atomic-orbital basis set in addition to the grid. The efficient atomic basis set is complementary to the more accurate grid, and the possibility to seamlessly switch between the two representations provides great flexibility. While DFT allows one to study ground state properties, time-dependent density-functional theory (TDDFT) provides access to the excited states. We have implemented the two common formulations of TDDFT, namely the linear-response and the time propagation schemes. Electron transport calculations under finite-bias conditions can be performed with GPAW using non-equilibrium Green functions and the localized basis set. In addition to the basic features of the real-space PAW method, we also describe the implementation of selected exchange-correlation functionals, parallelization schemes, Delta SCF-method, x-ray absorption spectra, and maximally localized Wannier orbitals.

Accurate calculations of adsorption energies of cyclic molecules are of key importance in investigations of, e.g., hydrodesulfurization (HDS) catalysis. The present density functional theory (DFT) study of a set of important reactants, products, and inhibitors in HDS catalysis demonstrates that van der Waals interactions are essential for binding energies on MoS(2) surfaces and that DFT with a recently developed exchange-correlation functional (vdW-DF) accurately calculates the van der Waals energy. Values are calculated for the adsorption energies of butadiene, thiophene, benzothiophene, pyridine, quinoline, benzene, and naphthalene on the basal plane of MoS(2), showing good agreement with available experimental data, and the equilibrium geometry is found as flat at a separation of about 3.5 A for all studied molecules. This adsorption is found to be due to mainly van der Waals interactions. Furthermore, the manifold of adsorption-energy values allows trend analyses to be made, and they are found to have a linear correlation with the number of main atoms.