skip to main content
US FlagAn official website of the United States government
dot gov icon
Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.
https lock icon
Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock ( lock ) or https:// means you've safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.


Title: α-MoC Supported Noble Metal Catalysts for Water–Gas Shift Reaction: Single-Atom Promoter or Single-Atom Player
In this work, we study the water−gas shift (WGS) reaction catalyzed by α- MoC(100) supported typical platinum group metal (PGM) single atoms (Rh1, Pd1, and Pt1) and Au1 via density functional theory calculations. The adsorption energies of key reaction intermediates and the kinetic barriers of the proposed rate-determining step in the WGS were systematically investigated. It is found that Rh1, Pd1, and Pt1 can serve as single-atom promoters (SAPs) to improve the WGS performance of surface Mo atoms on α-MoC(100). The enhanced activity originates from the fact that SAP modifies the electronic structure of Mo active sites. Comparatively, the Au1 species not only acts as an SAP but also directly participates in the catalysis as a single-atom player. The additional experiments with singleatomcatalyst performance and kinetic studies confirm the theoretical calculation conclusions. This study can provide a basis to further develop efficient WGS catalysts by tuning the activity of the substrate with intercalation of SAPs.  more » « less
Award ID(s):
2146591
PAR ID:
10554419
Author(s) / Creator(s):
; ; ; ; ;
Publisher / Repository:
American Chemical Society
Date Published:
Journal Name:
The Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters
Volume:
12
Issue:
46
ISSN:
1948-7185
Page Range / eLocation ID:
11415 to 11421
Format(s):
Medium: X
Sponsoring Org:
National Science Foundation
More Like this
  1. Single-atom catalysts (SACs) maximize the utility efficiency of metal atoms and offer great potential for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). Bimetal atom catalysts are an appealing strategy in virtue of the synergistic interaction of neighboring metal atoms, which can further improve the intrinsic HER activity beyond SACs. However, the rational design of these systems remains conceptually challenging and requires in-depth research both experimentally and theoretically. Here, we develop a dual-atom catalyst (DAC) consisting of O-coordinated W-Mo heterodimer embedded in N-doped graphene (W 1 Mo 1 -NG), which is synthesized by controllable self-assembly and nitridation processes. In W 1 Mo 1 -NG, the O-bridged W-Mo atoms are anchored in NG vacancies through oxygen atoms with W─O─Mo─O─C configuration, resulting in stable and finely distribution. The W 1 Mo 1 -NG DAC enables Pt-like activity and ultrahigh stability for HER in pH-universal electrolyte. The electron delocalization of W─O─Mo─O─C configuration provides optimal adsorption strength of H and boosts the HER kinetics, thereby notably promoting the intrinsic activity. 
    more » « less
  2. Abstract The development of low‐cost and efficient electrocatalysts for nitrogen reduction reaction (NRR) at ambient conditions is crucial for NH3synthesis and provides an alternative to the traditional Harber‐Bosch process. Herein, by means of density functional theory (DFT) computations, the catalytic performance of a series of single metal atoms supported on graphitic carbon nitride (g‐C3N4) for NRR is evaluated. Among all the candidates, the Gibbs free energy change of the potential‐determining step for five single‐atom catalysts (SACs), namely Ti, Co, Mo, W, and Pt atoms supported on g‐C3N4monolayer, is lower than that on the Ru(0001) stepped surface. In particular, the single tungsten (W) atom anchored on g‐C3N4(W@g‐C3N4) exhibits the highest catalytic activity toward NRR with a limiting potential of −0.35 V via associative enzymatic pathway, and can well suppress the competing hydrogen evolution reaction. The high NRR activity and selectivity of W@g‐C3N4are attributed to its inherent properties, such as significant positive charge and large spin moment on the W atom, excellent electrical conductivity, and moderate adsorption strength with NRR intermediates. This work opens up a new avenue of N2reduction for renewable energy supplies and helps guide future development of single‐atom catalysts for NRR and other related electrochemical process. 
    more » « less
  3. Abstract Single atoms of select transition metals supported on carbon substrates have emerged as a unique system for electrocatalysis because of maximal atom utilization (≈100%) and high efficiency for a range of reactions involved in electrochemical energy conversion and storage, such as the oxygen reduction, oxygen evolution, hydrogen evolution, and CO2reduction reactions. Herein, the leading strategies for the preparation of single atom catalysts are summarized, and the electrocatalytic performance of the resulting samples for the various reactions is discussed. In general, the carbon substrate not only provides a stabilizing matrix for the metal atoms, but also impacts the electronic density of the metal atoms due to strong interfacial interactions, which may lead to the formation of additional active sites by the adjacent carbon atoms and hence enhanced electrocatalytic activity. This necessitates a detailed understanding of the material structures at the atomic level, a critical step in the construction of a relevant structural model for theoretical simulations and calculations. Finally, a perspective is included highlighting the promises and challenges for the future development of carbon‐supported single atom catalysts in electrocatalysis. 
    more » « less
  4. Transition metal carbides are attractive, low-cost alternatives to Pt group metals, exhibiting multifunctional acidic, basic, and metallic sites for catalysis. Their widespread applications are often impeded by a high surface affinity for oxygen, which blocks catalytic sites. However, recent reports indicate that the α-MoC phase is a stable and effective cocatalyst for reactions in oxidative or aqueous environments. In this work, we elucidate the factors affecting the stability and catalytic activity of α-MoC under mild electrooxidation conditions (0–0.8 V SHE) using density functional theory calculations, kinetics-informed surface Pourbaix diagram analysis, electronic structure analysis, and cyclic voltammetry. Both computational and experimental data indicate that α-MoC is significantly more resistant to electrooxidation by H2O than β-Mo2C. This higher stability is attributed to structural and kinetic factors, as the Mo-terminated α-MoC surface disfavors substitutional oxidation of partially exposed, less oxophilic C* atoms by hindering CO/CO2 removal. The α-MoC surface exposes H2O-protected [MoC2O2] and [MoC(CO)O2] oxycarbidic motifs available for catalysis in a wide potential window. At higher potentials, they convert to unstable [Mo(CO)2O2], resulting in material degradation. Using formic acid as a probe molecule, we obtain evidence for Pt-like O*-mediated O–H and C–H bond activation pathways. The largest kinetic barrier, observed for the C–H bond activation, correlates with the hydrogen affinity of the site in the order O*/Mofcc > O*/Ctop > O*/Motop. To mitigate the site-blocking effect of surface-bound H2O and bidentate formate, doping with Pt was investigated computationally to make the surface less oxophilic and more carbophilic, indicating a possible design strategy toward more active and selective carbide electrocatalysts. 
    more » « less
  5. Single-atom catalysts based on metal–N4 moieties and anchored on carbon supports (defined as M–N–C) are promising for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). Among those, M–N–C catalysts with 4d and 5d transition metal (TM4d,5d) centers are much more durable and not susceptible to the undesirable Fenton reaction, especially compared with 3d transition metal based ones. However, the ORR activity of these TM4d,5d–N–C catalysts is still far from satisfactory; thus far, there are few discussions about how to accurately tune the ligand fields of single-atom TM4d,5d sites in order to improve their catalytic properties. Herein, we leverage single-atom Ru–N–C as a model system and report an S-anion coordination strategy to modulate the catalyst’s structure and ORR performance. The S anions are identified to bond with N atoms in the second coordination shell of Ru centers, which allows us to manipulate the electronic configuration of central Ru sites. The S-anion-coordinated Ru–N–C catalyst delivers not only promising ORR activity but also outstanding long-term durability, superior to those of commercial Pt/C and most of the near-term single-atom catalysts. DFT calculations reveal that the high ORR activity is attributed to the lower adsorption energy of ORR intermediates at Ru sites. Metal–air batteries using this catalyst in the cathode side also exhibit fast kinetics and excellent stability. 
    more » « less