Effects of particle size and edge structure on the electronic structure, spectroscopic features, and chemical properties of Au(111)-supported MoS2 nanoparticles

2016 ◽  
Vol 188 ◽  
pp. 323-343 ◽  
Author(s):  
Albert Bruix ◽  
Jeppe V. Lauritsen ◽  
Bjørk Hammer

Materials based on MoS2 are widely used as catalysts and their structure usually consists of single-layered MoS2 nanoparticles whose edges are known to constitute the catalytically active sites. Methods based on density functional theory are used in this work to calculate the electronic structure of representative computational models of MoS2 nanoparticles supported on Au(111). By considering nanoparticles with different edge-terminations, compositions, and sizes, we describe how the electronic structure, Mo3d core-level shifts, and chemical properties (i.e. H adsorption and S vacancy formation) depend on the MoS2 nanoparticle size and structure. In addition, site-specific properties, largely inaccessible when using only slab models of MoS2 edges, are reported, which reveal that the edge sites are not uniform along the nanoparticle and largely depend on the proximity to the corners of the triangular NPs, especially when interacting with a metallic support. Furthermore, a structural motif where H atoms adsorb favourably in a bridging position between two Mo atoms is proposed as an active site for the hydrogen evolution reaction.

Author(s):  
Khorsed Alam ◽  
Tisita Das ◽  
Sudip Chakraborty ◽  
Prasenjit Sen

Electronic structure calculations based on density functional theory are used to identify the catalytically active sites for the hydrogen evolution reaction on single layers of the two transition metal tri-chalcogenide...


2017 ◽  
Vol 46 (2) ◽  
pp. 529-538 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yunguo Li ◽  
Pavel A. Korzhavyi

The electronic structure and chemical bonding of Cu(i) compounds with O and/or H are investigated using ab initio calculations based on density functional theory.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tulin Okbinoglu ◽  
Pierre Kennepohl

Molecules containing sulfur-nitrogen bonds, like sulfonamides, have long been of interest due to their many uses and chemical properties. Understanding the factors that cause sulfonamide reactivity is important, yet their continues to be controversy regarding the relevance of S-N π bonding in describing these species. In this paper, we use sulfur K-edge x-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) in conjunction with density functional theory (DFT) to explore the role of S<sub>3p</sub> contributions to π-bonding in sulfonamides, sulfinamides and sulfenamides. We explore the nature of electron distribution of the sulfur atom and its nearest neighbors and extend the scope to explore the effects on rotational barriers along the sulfur-nitrogen axis. The experimental XAS data together with TD-DFT calculations confirm that sulfonamides, and the other sulfinated amides in this series, have essentially no S-N π bonding involving S<sub>3p</sub> contributions and that electron repulsion and is the dominant force that affect rotational barriers.


Química Nova ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kamila Ody ◽  
João Jesus ◽  
Carlos Cava ◽  
Anderson Albuquerque ◽  
Ary Maia ◽  
...  

ASSESSMENT OF THE ELECTRONIC STRUCTURE OF THE MONOCLINIC PHASE OF NIOBIUM OXIDE BASED ON THE USE OF DIFFERENT DENSITY FUNCTIONALS. Niobium oxides, Nb2O5, are considered semiconductor materials with very attractive physical and chemical properties for applications in many areas, such as catalysis, sensors, medical, aerospace, etc. Especially, the characterization of Nb2O5-based nanostructures with monoclinic structure has received much attention in recent years. However, despite the great importance of this system, some of its fundamentals properties are still not fully understood. Hence, this work aims to apply the theoretical methodologies through Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations in periodic models based on the use of different density functionals (like B1WC, B3PW, B3LYP, PBE0, PBESOL0, SOGGAXC, and WC1LYP) to investigate the physical and chemical properties of the monoclinic structure of Nb2O5. The band structures, energy bandgap, density of state, and vibrational properties, as well as order-disorder effects on the monoclinic structure of Nb2O5 are investigated in this study. Our theoretical results show a better agreement with experimental data for the B3LYP functional and hence lead to new perspectives on the deeper physicochemical understanding of the monoclinic Nb2O5. From these computational tools, it is possible to unravel the relations between structure and properties, which may contribute to the future development of new devices and applications based on these materials.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Prajay Patel ◽  
Robert Wells ◽  
David Kaphan ◽  
Massimiliano Delferro ◽  
Rex T. Skodje ◽  
...  

<div> <div> <p></p><p><a>A crucial consideration for supported heterogeneous catalysts is the non-uniformity of the active sites, particularly for Supported Organometallic Catalysts (SOMCs). Standard spectroscopic techniques, such as X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS), reflect the nature of the most populated sites, which are often intrinsically structurally distinct from the most catalytically active sites. With computational models, often only a few representative structures are used to depict catalytic active sites on a surface, even though there are numerous observable factors of surface heterogeneity that contribute to the kinetically favorable active species. A previously reported study on the mechanism of a surface organovanadium(III) catalyst [(SiO)V<sup>III</sup>(Mes)(THF)] for styrene hydrogenation yielded two possible mechanisms: heterolytic cleavage and redox cycling. These two mechanistic scenarios are challenging to differentiate experimentally based on the kinetic readouts of the catalyst are identical. To showcase the importance of modeling surface heterogeneity and its effect on catalytic activity, density functional theory (DFT) computational models of a series of potential active sites of [(SiO)V<sup>III</sup>(Mes)(THF)] for the reaction pathways are applied in combination with kinetic Monte Carlo (kMC) simulations. Computed results were t then compared to the previously reported experimental kinetic study</a><a>.: 1) DFT free energy reaction pathways indicated the likely active site and pathway for styrene hydrogenation; a heterolytic cleavage pathway requiring a bare tripodal vanadium site. 2) From the kMC simulations, a mixture of the different bond lengths from the support oxygen to the metal center was required to qualitatively describe the experimentally observed kinetic aspects of a supported organovanadium(III) catalyst for olefin hydrogenation. </a>This work underscores the importance of modeling surface heterogeneity in computational catalysis.</p><p></p></div></div>


2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Caterina Cocchi ◽  
Sonal Mistry ◽  
Martin Schmeißer ◽  
Raymond Amador ◽  
Julius Kühn ◽  
...  

AbstractThe development of novel photocathode materials for ultra-bright electron sources demands efficient and cost-effective strategies that provide insight and understanding of the intrinsic material properties given the constraints of growth and operational conditions. To address this question, we propose a viable way to establish correlations between calculated and measured data on core electronic states of Cs-K-Sb materials. To do so, we combine first-principles calculations based on all-electron density-functional theory on the three alkali antimonides Cs3Sb, Cs2KSb, and CsK2Sb with x-ray photoemission spectroscopy (XPS) on Cs-K-Sb photocathode samples. Within the GW approximation of many-body perturbation theory, we obtain quantitative predictions of the band gaps of these materials, which range from 0.57 eV in Cs2KSb to 1.62 eV in CsK2Sb and manifest direct or indirect character depending on the relative potassium content. Our theoretical electronic-structure analysis also reveals that the core states of these systems have binding energies that depend only on the atomic species and their crystallographic sites, with largest shifts of the order of 2 eV and 0.5 eV associated to K 2p and Sb 3d states, respectively. This information can be correlated to the maxima in the XPS survey spectra, where such peaks are clearly visible. In this way, core-level shifts can be used as fingerprints to identify specific compositions of Cs-K-Sb materials and their relation with the measured values of quantum efficiency. Our results represent the first step towards establishing a robust connection between the experimental preparation and characterization of photocathodes, the ab initio prediction of their electronic structure, and the modeling of emission and beam formation processes.


2021 ◽  
Vol 118 (49) ◽  
pp. e2109241118
Author(s):  
Linh N. V. Le ◽  
Gwendolyn A. Bailey ◽  
Anna G. Scott ◽  
Theodor Agapie

Nitrogen-fixing organisms perform dinitrogen reduction to ammonia at an Fe-M (M = Mo, Fe, or V) cofactor (FeMco) of nitrogenase. FeMco displays eight metal centers bridged by sulfides and a carbide having the MFe7S8C cluster composition. The role of the carbide ligand, a unique motif in protein active sites, remains poorly understood. Toward addressing how the carbon bridge affects the physical and chemical properties of the cluster, we isolated synthetic models of subsite MFe3S3C displaying sulfides and a chelating carbyne ligand. We developed synthetic protocols for structurally related clusters, [Tp*M’Fe3S3X]n−, where M’ = Mo or W, the bridging ligand X = CR, N, NR, S, and Tp* = Tris(3,5-dimethyl-1-pyrazolyl)hydroborate, to study the effects of the identity of the heterometal and the bridging X group on structure and electrochemistry. While the nature of M’ results in minor changes, the chelating, μ3-bridging carbyne has a large impact on reduction potentials, being up to 1 V more reducing compared to nonchelating N and S analogs.


2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (10) ◽  
pp. 977-984
Author(s):  
Divya Chauhan ◽  
Mohammad Ashfaq ◽  
Neetu Talreja ◽  
Ramalinga Viswanathan Managalraja

Recently 2D materials are booming in the field of energy, environment, and biomedical application. Incorporation of metal/non-metal within 2D materials significantly influences the physical and chemical properties, making them intriguing materials for various applications. The advancement of 2D material requires strategic modification by manipulating the electronic structure, which remains a challenge. Herein, we describe 2D materials for the environment, energy, and biomedical application. A predominant aim of this short communication is to summarize the literature on the advanced environment, energy, and biomedical application (especially COVID-19).


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