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The oxidation functionality of Mn(IV) sites has been assessed by density functional theory (DFT) analysis of adsorption and activation energies of CO, H2 and O2 on a model Mn4O8 cluster. DFT calculations indicate that Mn(IV) atoms prompt an easy CO conversion to CO2 via a reaction path involving both catalyst and gas-phase oxygen species, while much greater energy barriers hinder H2 oxidation. Accordingly, a MnCeOx catalyst (Mnat/Ceat, 5) with large exposure of Mn(IV) sites shows a remarkable CO oxidation performance at T ≥ 293 K and no H2 oxidation activity below 393 K. Empiric kinetics disclose that the catalyst-oxygen abstraction step determines both CO and H2 oxidation rate, although different activation energies favor the preferential oxidation (PROX) pattern of the studied catalyst (353–423 K). Conversion-selectivity of 100%, high stability during 72 h reaction time and moderate inhibiting effects of water and CO2 feeding reveal the potential of MnO2 materials as efficient, low-cost and robust PROX catalysts.

Lower alkanes are feedstocks readily available but relatively inert. The con- version of low cost alkanes to industrially relevant alkenes is usually carried out on metal-based heterogeneous catalysts. Considering both the cost and the potential harmfulness of the metal involved in the dehydrogenation cat- alysts (typically, platinum or chromium), the study of metal-free processes represents an important challenge for the industrial chemistry in order to address more sustainable protocols and different routes either to activate or transform alkanes. Framed in this context, it was investigated, using a den- sity functional theory approach, the potential dehydrogenation activity of de- fective and partially hydrogenated boron nitride quasi-molecular nanoflakes, on ethane, chloroethane and phenylethane. Concerted and not concerted reactions were considered, resulting the former always favored with respect to the latter and being the mechanisms and the corresponding energy char- acterizing the different substrates, in any case, quite similar. Along the dehydrogenation, given a certain hydrocarbon adsorption constellation, the defective nitrogen sites were generally more active than the boron ones, being the energy barriers, in any case, smaller or at least comparable with those al- ready observed for the metal catalyzed dehydrogenation processes. After the dehydrogenation processes, the hydrogenated boron nitride quasi-molecular nanoflakes resulted highly stabilized, suggesting that specific strategies are needed to employ these materials as catalysts.

The reactivity pattern of the MnO2 catalyst in the selective aerobic oxidation of benzyl alcohol is assessed by density functional theory (DFT) analysis of adsorption energies and activation barriers on a model Mn4O8 cluster. DFT calculations predict high reactivity of defective Mn(IV) sites ruling a surface redox mechanism, L-H type, involving gas-phase oxygen. Bare and promoted (i.e., CeOx and FeOx) MnOx materials with high surface exposure of Mn(IV) sites were synthesized to assess kinetic and mechanistic issues of the selective aerobic oxidation of benzyl alcohol on real catalysts (T, 333–363 K). According to DFT predictions, the experimental study shows: i) comparable activity of bare and promoted catalysts due to surface Mn(IV) sites; ii) the catalytic role of oxygen-atoms in the neighboring of active Mn(IV) sites; and iii) a 0th-order dependence on alcohol concentration, diagnostic of remarkable influence of adsorption phenomena on the reactivity pattern. Evidences of catalyst deactivation due to the over-oxidation of benzyl alcohol to benzoic acid, acting as poison of the active sites, are discussed.

Molecular dynamics simulations based on density functional theory were employed to investigate the fate of a hydrogen molecule shot with different kinetic energy toward a hydrogenated palladium cluster anchored on the vacant site of a defective graphene sheet. Hits resulting in H2 adsorption occur until the cluster is fully saturated. The influence of H content over Pd with respect to atomic hydrogen spillover onto graphene was investigated. Calculated energy barriers of ca. 1.6 eV for H-spillover suggest that the investigated Pd/graphene system is a good candidate for hydrogen storage.

Data here reported are connected with the research article “Benzyl Alcohol to Benzaldehyde Oxidation on MnO x Clusters: Unraveling Atomistic Features” Gueci et al. [1] . This work described and discussed structural and energetic results, calculated by Density Functional Theory (DFT). In order to get kinetic information, DFT results were refined by an original approach, which will be shortly described in the following article. The crossed analysis of experimental and computational energetic and kinetic data allowed to (i) reconstruct the complicated lattice that connects the primary and secondary mechanisms of the reaction and (ii) identify alternative process pathways capable of by-passing parasitic mechanisms, decreasing selectivity. On the other hand, the data here presented show what is the basic information necessary to obtain the modeling of a complex process of heterogeneous catalysis. Moreover, they can be used either to verify the validity of the discussion outlined in the original article Gueci et al. [1] or as a starting point to computationally explore alternative routes and the related kinetics of the same oxidation processes, in the aim to further optimize the corresponding experimental approach.

The catalytic oxidation of benzyl alcohol with O 2 is a promising option for the production of benzaldehyde, from both environmental and economical viewpoints. In particular, highly dispersed MnO x systems feature good activity and selectivity in a wide range of temperatures, although deactivation phenomena by over-oxidation and/or poisoning of active sites are generally recorded. On this account, a density functional theory study was performed on cluster-sized catalyst models, namely Mn 4 O 8 and over-oxygenated Mn 4 O 9 fragments, to predict the reactivity pattern of MnO x catalysts in the selective aerobic oxidation of benzyl alcohol. Several pathways concur to determine the whole reaction process and all of them were compared to unveil the atomistic details of the alcohol oxidation mechanism. Moreover, assuming that the consecutive formation of benzoic acid affects the activity-stability pattern of the MnO x based catalyst, also the benzaldehyde oxidation mechanism was computationally addressed. A systematic comparison of the benzyl alcohol and benzaldehyde oxidation mechanisms on the Mn 4 O 8 and Mn 4 O 9 fragments reveals some experimental strategies to test the reaction mechanisms and design alternative catalytic routes to decrease undesired parasitic reactions leading to catalyst deactivation. The matching structural, energetic and kinetic data are published in the Data in Brief journal [1].

Decomposition pathways of 1,2-propanediol (1,2-PDO) on platinum were investigated by means of experiments and quantum-mechanical calculations. Different reaction paths on a Pt(111) model surface were computationally screened. Gas and liquid phase products distribution for aqueous phase reforming of 1,2-PDO solutions was experimentally analyzed. A mechanistic approach was used to trace the preferred paths according to calculated activation barriers of the elementary steps; in this way, the presence or absence of some hypothesized intermediates in the experiments was computationally rationalized. Hydroxyacetone was demonstrated to be among the most favored decomposition products. The competition between C-H, O-H, and C-C bond cleavages was investigated, revealing that shortening of the carbon chain occurs most likely via decarbonylation steps. (Figure Presented).

Boron nitride nanotube (BNNT) as an innovative support for carbohydrate transformation processes was evaluated, using density functional theory. The α-d-glucopyranose adsorption on a Pd30 cluster, supported on BNNT, was used to check both the local activity of topologically different metallic sites and the effects of the proximity of the BNNT surface to the same metallic sites. Detailed geometrical and electronic analyses performed on Pd30/BNNT and α-d-glucopyranose/Pd30/BNNT systems were discussed. It was observed that the deposition of the Pd30 cluster onto the BNNT support gives rise to an electronic rearrangement, determining a charge transfer from the support to the adsorbed metal cluster. The charge transfer, as shown by the analysis of molecular electrostatic potential, seems to generate electron-rich and electron-poor zones in the Pd30 cluster. The α-d-glucopyranose species, regardless the interaction geometry experienced, acts as an electron donor and preferentially adsorbs close to the electron-poor metal/support interface.

Metal clusters have been used in catalysis for a long time, even in industrial production protocols, and a large number of theoretical and experimental studies aimed at characterizing their structure and reactivity, either when supported or not, are already present in the literature. Nevertheless, in the last years the advances made in the control of the synthesis and stabilization of subnanometric clusters promoted a renewed interest in the field. The shape and size of sub-nanometer clusters are crucial in determining their catalytic activity and selectivity. Moreover, if supported, subnanometric clusters could be highly influenced by the interactions with the support that could affect geometric and electronic properties of the catalyst. These effects also present in the case of metal nanoparticles assume an even more prominent role in the “subnano world.” DFT-based simulations are nowadays essential in elucidating and unraveling reaction mechanisms. The outstanding position of this corner of science will be highlighted through a selected number of examples present in the literature, concerning the growth and reactivity of subnanometric supported metal catalysts.

The ethylene glycol, CH2OH-CH2OH, decomposition mechanism, occurring on a subnanometric palladium cluster shaped by 12 atoms, was investigated by means of density functional theory. Different reaction routes were identified leading to H2 and CO. The whole reaction network was analyzed, framing the results within the graph theory. The possible decomposition pathways were discussed and compared, allowing one to draw a whole picture of all the parallel, possibly competitive, routes that starting from CH2OH-CH2OH originate H2 and CO.

Density functional theory calculations were employed to investigate the nucleation and growth of small palladium clusters, up to Pd9, into a microcavity of the porous hyper-cross-linked polystyrene (HPS). The geometries and the electronic structures of the palladium clusters inside the HPS cavity, following the one-by-one atom addition, are affected by a counterbalance between the Pd–phenyl (Pd−Φ) and Pd–Pd interactions. The analysis performed on energetics, cavity distortions, and cluster geometries indeed suggest that the cluster growth is dominated by the Pd−Φ interactions up to the formation of Pd4 aggregates, whereas the metal–metal interactions actually rule the growth of the larger clusters. The elasticity of the hyper-cross-linked polystyrene matrix also plays an important role in the cluster development processes.

In the frame of DFT paradigms, the adsorption of 2-methyl-3-butyn-2-ol (MBY) and 2-methyl-3-buten-2-ol (MBE) on a Pd-30 cluster, including both {100} and {111} faces, was studied along with the pathways involved in the hydrogenation, taking place on plane and low coordination (corner/edge) sites of given MBY/Pd-30 and MBE/Pd-30 surface configurations. The calculated energetics, further validated by gas-phase and water-assisted gas-phase MBY and MBE hydrogenation, performed on well-defined size and shape-controlled Pd nanoparticles supported on SiO2, were able to explain the origin of the structure sensitivity and the high selectivity characterizing the title reaction when occurring in aqueous solution. The C C moiety of the MBY surface species indeed seemed to be mostly activated by plane sites instead of corner/edge atoms, whereas the MBE species appeared to have a different behavior, with their C=C moieties typically being activated by low coordination sites. DFT studies excluded that the overhydrogenation paths could be affected by the site topologies; hence, the role of plane, edge, or corner atoms should not be influential in setting the surface reaction mechanism, which as a consequence could be controlled by the adsorption energy, actually distinguished by different values on sites of different topology. The role of water in the selectivity to MBE, which characterizes the catalytic overhydrogenation of MBY on I'd nanoparticles, was also inferred.

The reaction path leading to the partial and total reduction of alkynols and alkyndiols with general formula R–CH2–C≡C–CH(OH)–R′ and R–CH(OH)–C≡C–CH(OH)–R′ (R, R′ = H, CH3) on a D3h symmetry Pd9 cl...

Dissociative adsorption of impinging gas-phase molecular hydrogen (H2) on a palladium cluster (Pd4) supported on defective graphene (C47) was studied by periodic density functional theory molecular dynamics simulations. The H2 on Pd4/C47 collision dynamics were investigated without any particular constraint, except for the Born–Oppenheimer approximation. The study, which had mostly method-testing aims, provided, anyway, valuable information about the collision kinetics of gas-phase molecular hydrogen. This was treated as an impacting projectile having different kinetic energy values. At lower kinetic energies, sticking was ruled by steering effects imputable to the Pd cluster that easily reoriented the incoming hydrogen molecule to the metallic surface sites, favoring fragmentation hence adsorption. Sticking decreased at higher kinetic energies for which the very fast corresponding projectile acquired a kind of elusiveness toward the metallic surface that for this was not able to steer and adsorb the gas-phase hydrogen molecule. Interestingly, altered steering effects, in this case, ruled by already adsorbed surface hydrogen, seemed to play a decisive role in refocusing both H2 hitting and sticking on the supported palladium surface, irrespective of the energy characterizing the impinging gas-phase molecules.

The spectroscopic constants of AlH, $$\hbox {AlH}^{+}$$ and $$\hbox {AlH}^{-}$$ , as well as their counterparts with H/D isotopic substitution, were obtained at the frozen core Full-CI/CBS limit and corrected for the core-correlation, relativistic and diagonal Born–Oppenheimer contributions, calculated by means of different high-level computational methods. On the basis of the obtained values, some accepted experimental result for these astrochemically relevant species is questioned.

Monte Carlo algorithms and codes, used to study heterogeneous catalytic systems in the frame of the computational section of the NANOCAT project, are presented along with some exemplifying applications and results. In particular, time dependent Monte Carlo methods supported by high level quantum chemical information employed in the field of heterogeneous catalysis are focused. Technical details of the present algorithmic Monte Carlo development as well as possible evolution aimed at a deeper interrelationship of quantum and stochastic methods are discussed, pointing to two different aspects: the thermal-effect involvement and the three-dimensional catalytic matrix simulation. As topical applications, (i) the isothermal and isobaric adsorption of CO on Group 10 metal surfaces, (ii) the hydrogenation on metal supported catalysts of organic substrates in two-phase and three-phase reactors, and (iii) the isomerization of but-2-ene species in three-dimensional supported and unsupported zeolite models are presented.

This review shortly discusses recent results obtained by the application of density functional theory for the calculations of the adsorption and diffusion properties of small molecules and their reactivity on heterogenous catalytic systems, in the ambit of the Nanocat project. Particular focus has been devoted to palladium catalysts, either in atomic or small cluster form. Some protocols have been tested to obtain efficient ways able to treat the electronic and geometric influence of supports like zeolites and carbon nanotubes on the catalytic properties of palladium. The hydroisomerization of cis-but-2-ene is discussed as model reaction on supported and unsupported Pd clusters. Some preliminary results on the structural investigation of systems formed by a palladium clusters and block copolymers are also presented.

Aiming at understanding the elementary steps governing the oxidation of CO catalyzed by dispersed or supported gold nanoclusters, the reactivity of molecular species, such as O2 and CO, on neutral and positively charged Au13 clusters have been studied using a DFT approach. Two CO oxidation mechanisms have been simulated, involving respectively the adsorption of CO and O2 on adjacent catalytic sites (two-sites mechanism) and the competitive interaction of the reactants on the same site (single-site mechanism). It is demonstrated that in the former scheme a definite interaction of CO and O2 with both the charged and neutral cluster is effective, but that a chemical reaction between the adsorbates does not take place. Only the latter mechanism on positively charged Au13 cluster can give rise to the rupture of dioxygen and carbon dioxide formation. Detailed reaction paths corresponding to this case are calculated.

Nucleation of homo- (Ni, Pd, Re, Pt) and heterometallic (Ni–Pd, Re–Pt) clusters on monovacancy sites of a graphene sheet has been investigated by means of periodic density functional theory calculations. It is shown that a vacant site in graphene is an effective nucleation center for both the monometallic and bimetallic clusters, whose characteristics are described in terms of structural distortions, nucleation energetics, affinities between different metal atoms, metal–carbon interactions, and ease of diffusion of metal atoms on graphene.

A QM/MM investigation is reported dealing with the nucleation and growth of small palladium clusters, up to Pd8, on the outer surface of a suitable model of boron nitride nanotubes (BNNTs). It is shown that BNNTs could have a template effect on the cluster growth, which is due to the interplay between Pd–N and Pd–Pd interactions as well as due to the matching of the B3N3 ring and the Pd(111) face arrangement. The values for the cluster adsorption energies reveal a relatively strong physisorption, which suggests that under particular conditions the BNNTs could be used as supports for the preparation of shape-controlled metal clusters.

Biomass-based feedstocks are often oxygenated compounds characterized by large amounts of hydroxyls. As an example, polyols and sugar alcohols are largely employed as reactants for different chemical catalytic transformations such as oxidation, dehydration, and hydrodeoxigenation, which usually occur in aqueous medium. With the goal of gaining new insights into processes that could be industrially relevant, the adsorption of the OH groups on metal surfaces and in the presence of water has to be correctly reproduced and described, within a chosen theoretical framework. Toward this goal, several tests were performed on the catalytically relevant metal Ru, Pd, and Re, benchmarking their bulk and surfaces properties in the frame of the DFT paradigm and employing numerical atomic orbitals, joined with different exchange-correlation vdW-DF functionals. In particular, methanol, ethylene glycol, glycerol, and erythritol adsorption processes on Ru (0001), Pd (111), and Re (0001) surfaces were investigated, as well as their coadsorption with water.

Selective dehydrogenation of the biomass-derived lignan hydroxymatairesinol (HMR) to oxomatairesinol (oxoMAT) was studied over an Au/Al(2)O(3) catalyst. The reaction was carried out in a semi-batch glass reactor at 343 K under two different gas atmospheres, namely produced through synthetic air or nitrogen. The studied reaction is, in fact, an example of secondary-alcohol oxidation over an Au catalyst. Thus, the investigated reaction mechanism of HMR oxidative dehydrogenation is useful for the fundamental understanding of other secondary-alcohol dehydrogenation over Au surfaces. To investigate the elementary catalytic steps ruling both oxygen-free- and oxygen-assisted dehydrogenation of HMR to oxoMAT, the reactions were mimicked in a vacuum over an Au(28) cluster. Adsorption of the involved molecular species--O(2), three different HMR diastereomers (namely, one SRR and two RRR forms), and the oxoMAT derivative--were also studied at the DFT level. In particular, the energetic and structural differences between SRR-HMR and RRR-HMR diastereomers on the Au(28) cluster were analyzed, following different reaction pathways for the HMR dehydrogenation that occur in presence or absence of oxygen. The corresponding mechanisms explain the higher rates of the experimentally observed oxygen-assisted reaction, mostly depending on the involved HMR diastereomer surface conformations. The role of the support was also elucidated, considering a very simple Au(28) charged model that explains the experimentally observed high reactivity of the Au/Al(2)O(3) catalyst.

The catalytic dehydration of propan-2-ol over H-Y and H-ZMS-5 aluminated zeolite models, mimicking both internal cavities and external surfaces, was studied by DFT calculations to investigate the reaction mechanism. After the adsorption of propan-2-ol on the zeolite, the dehydration mechanism starts with alcohol protonation, occurring by one acidic –OH group of the zeolite fragment, followed by a concerted β-elimination to give propene. The catalytic activity is affected by the size of the zeolite cavity, which is larger in the H-Y than in the H-ZMS-5 zeolite. The adsorption energy of the reagent, as an example, decreases in the order: H-Y cavity ≃ H-ZMS-5 surface > H-ZMS-5 cavity, pointing that the adsorption process should preferentially occur either on open surface or inside larger cavity. More interestingly, confinement effects play a twofold role in driving the reaction pathway, resulting in two different effects on the reaction outcomes. The thermodynamic stability, evaluated by the standard free energy difference of the products (water and propene) with respect to the reactant (propan-2-ol), would indeed suggest that the reaction more smoothly could occur for the systems: H-ZMS-5 surface > non-catalyzed > H-Y cavity > H-ZMS-5 cavity. The activation standard free energy of the process conversely decreases in the order: non-catalyzed > H-ZMS-5 surface > H-ZMS-5 cavity > H-Y cavity, suggesting that the reaction is faster inside zeolite cavities. Experimental and computational results are in agreement, giving confidence on the atomistic-level insights provided.

Density functional theory calculations were performed on uranyl complexed with nitrate and monoamide ligands (L) [UO(2)(NO(3))(2)·2L]. The obtained results show that the complex stability is mainly governed by two factors: (i) the maximization of the polarizability of the coordinating ligand and (ii) the minimization of the steric hindrance effects. Furthermore, the electrostatic interaction between ligands and uranium(vi) was found to be a crucial parameter for the complex stability. These results pave the way to the definition of (quantitative) property/structure relationships for the in silico screening of monoamide ligands with improved extraction efficiency of uranium(vi) in nitrate acidic solution.

Infrared spectra of 0.5 mol·L-1 uranium(VI) nitrate monoamide complexes in toluene have been recorded and compared with infrared spectra calculated by DFT. The investigated monoamides were N,N- dimethylformamide (DMF), N,N-dibutylformamide (DBF), and N,N- dicyclohexylformamide (DcHF). The validity of DFT calculations for describing uranium nitrate monoamide complexes has been confirmed as a fair agreement between experimental and calculated spectra was obtained. Furthermore, a topological analysis of the electron density has been carried out to characterize monoamide-uranium interactions. From this work, it appears that the increase of stability of uranylmonoamide complexes may be directly linked to the degree of polarization of the ligands in interaction with uranylnitrate. Among the investigated monoamides, the most stable complex is UO 2(NO3)2·2DcHF. This complex is characterized by a high positive charge delocalization in the outer part of the ligand molecule, which leads to a more concentrated positive charge close to the uranyl cation (UO22+), thus strengthening the electrostatic interaction between the metal and the ligand. © 2010 American Chemical Society.

We present simulation of the UV–visible spectra of acridine orange, a widely used photosensitizer for in vivo studies due to its highly environment-dependent spectroscopic properties. This dye has been investigated both in its protonated and neutral forms, either isolated or embedded in a pumpkin-shaped macromolecular cycle (cucurbit-7-uril), using time-dependent density functional theory techniques. To model this macromolecular cycle, two strategies are taken into account, allowing decoupling of the geometric and electrostatic influences of the host on the guest molecules. Experimental data are well-reproduced when using an embedding electrostatic technique, suggesting that such a method holds great promise to investigate the environmental effects on dye absorption spectra at low computational cost.

Hydrogenolysis of 7-hydroxymatairesinol (HMR) to matairesinol (MAT) occurs on palladium supported acidic catalysts. HMR has three stereochemical centres and naturally exists as a mixture of two diastereoisomers, namely RRR-HMR and SRR-HMR. The latter is significantly more reactive than the former, in the reaction above. In order to elucidate the hydrogenolysis mechanism, simple surface events involving HMR derivatives on aluminated faujasite (H-Y) fragments were simulated by quantum chemical calculations. The metallic function of a Pd/H-Y acidic catalyst was also mimicked by a minimal palladium cluster. Stereochemical evidences pointed already out that water β-elimination on the epimeric centre, leading to an olefinic intermediate, should mainly occur for the adsorbed SRR-HMR stereoisomer. As a consequence, it was hypothesized that this feature could explain the different reactivity of the RRR-HMR and SRR-HMR hydrogenolysis, occurring on metal supported bi-functional zeolite catalysts. The significance of this inference is decreased by the here study. Finally, it is demonstrated that several HMR to MAT reaction paths may coexist and that the metal component of the Pd/H-Y bi-functional catalyst cannot be involved in steps discriminating for the whole reaction rate and selectivity.

The interaction of CO and O 2 with neutral and positively charged Au 9 and Au 13 clusters was studied using Density Functional Theory. The aim was the understanding of the elementary steps of the low temperature activity of supported gold nanoparticles towards carbon monoxide combustion, that is, the oxidation of CO to CO 2 in presence of dioxygen molecules. The adsorption of a single CO molecule gives rise to a substantial electronic rearrangement on both neutral and cationic gold clusters. On the contrary, the adsorption of dioxygen produces an electron transfer from neutral gold clusters to the O 2 , while the interaction with cationic Au nanoparticles is simply electrostatic. Co-adsorption of CO and O 2 on adjacent catalytic sites produces a synergic electronic rearrangement on neutral cluster, but carbon monoxide oxidation does not take place. It is only when the two reactants are forced to interact with the same Au catalytic site that a chemical reaction takes place, leading to the rupture of the O 2 molecule on cationic Au 13 . On a neutral Au 13 cluster, on the other hand, the formation of an adduct containing a weakly bound dioxygen and a not fully formed carbon dioxide molecule is observed. The adsorption of a second CO molecule gives rise on both neutral and cationic aggregates to the facile desorption of CO 2 . Detailed reaction paths and energy barriers are calculated for each CO oxidation process.

The isomerization of cis-but-2-ene to trans-but-2-ene within a 22T H-ZSM-5 zeolite model, also in the presence of two adsorbed Pd atoms, has been studied by DFT calculations. The results obtained allow us to state that the cis/trans but-2-ene isomerization can easily proceed inside unsupported zeolite cavities. In this case, differently than in the gas phase reaction, the trans-but-2-ene is less stable than the cis-but-2-ene, when adsorbed on the zeolite inner surface. Excluding the adsorption-desorption steps, the isomerization process involves two intermediates and three transition states, whose energy content is always very low with respect to that of reagents and intermediate species. The reaction is in principle allowed also in the presence of two Pd atoms embedded inside the zeolite cavity. However, strong H-Pd interactions seem to cause higher activation energies along the formation of the involved intermediates and transition states. To evaluate the confining effects of the zeolite room on the cis/trans isomerization process, the latter has been also analyzed on protonated (Pd2H(+)) and unprotonated (Pd2) bare palladium fragments at different multiplicity states. The but-2-ene adsorption on the considered systems and the mutual influence occurring between the metal atoms and the hydrogen acidic sites at different multiplicity states have also been taken into consideration.

With the aim of understanding the elementary steps governing the oxidation of CO catalyzed by dispersed or supported gold nanoclusters, the adsorption of molecular species, such as O2 and CO, on model neutral and positively charged clusters (Au(n)(m+) n = 1, 9, and 13; m = 0, 1, and 3) has been studied using an ab initio approach. The computed structural and thermodynamic data related to the binding process show that molecular oxygen interacts better with neutral clusters, acting as an electron acceptor, while CO more strongly binds to positively charged species, thus acting as an electron donor.

The catalyst Pt(1 wt %)/Ce(0.6)Zr(0.4)O(2) is studied by CO-temperature programmed reduction (CO-TPR), isothermal oxygen storage complete capacity (OSCC), X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) at the Pt L(III) edge, and in situ X-ray diffraction (in situ XRD), with the aim of elucidating the role of supported metal in CO oxidation by ceria-based three-way catalysts (TWC). The redox behavior of Pt(1 wt %)/Ce(0.6)Zr(0.4)O(2) is compared to that of bare ceria-zirconia. OSCC of redox-aged Pt/ceria-zirconia is twice that of bare ceria-zirconia, and the maximum of CO consumption occurs at a temperature about 300 K lower than redox-aged ceria-zirconia. XAS analysis allows one to evidence the formation of a platinum-cerium alloy in redox-aged samples and the stability of the metal particles toward oxidation and sintering during high-temperature treatments. Under CO flux at 773 K, bare ceria-zirconia shows a continuous drift of diffraction peaks toward smaller Bragg angles, due to a progressive increase of Ce(III) content. Under the same treatment, the structural rearrangement of Pt-supported ceria-zirconia starts after an induction time and takes place with an abrupt change of the lattice constant. The experimental evidence points to the role of supported Pt in modifying the redox properties of ceria-zirconia with respect to the bare support. It is proposed that the much faster bulk reduction observed by in situ XRD for redox-aged Pt/ceria-zirconia can be attributed to an easier release of reacted CO(2), producing a more effective turnover of reactants at the catalyst surface.

Gold nanoparticles supported on different oxides (SiO2, CeO2 and TiO2) were prepared by the SMAD (solvated metal atom dispersion) and deposition–precipitation (DP) techniques. The physical and chemical characterization of the catalysts was performed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) and the catalytic activity was tested during the reaction of low temperature CO oxidation. The structural and surface analyses evidenced the presence of small gold crystallites (cluster size ∼2–5 nm) in all the SMAD-prepared samples and oxidized gold species in the case of the DP catalysts. A different surface distribution of ionic gold species was found on the different supports. By comparing the catalytic activities of the samples, the presence of Au+1 species seems to be the main requisite for the achievement of the highest CO conversion at the lowest temperature. The higher activity of Au/CeO2(DP) catalysts at T ≈ 250 K can be ascribed to a better stabilization of the AuO− species by the cerium oxide. Nanosized metallic gold particles exhibit a worse catalytic performance, both on ‘reducible’ and ‘inert’ supports, being significantly active only in the temperature range: 400–600 K. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Nanostructured gold catalysts supported on CeO2 and SiO2 were prepared by the deposition–precipitation (DP) and the solvated metal atom dispersion (SMAD) techniques. The structural and electronic properties of the catalysts were investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Gold was found as small metal nanoparticles (cluster size ∼2 nm) in the SMAD-prepared samples and in ionic state in the DP catalysts. The catalytic activity of the samples was tested in the reaction of low temperature CO oxidation. Gold nanosized particles in a pure metallic state exhibited a worse catalytic performance, both on ceria and silica. The presence of non-metallic Au species seems to be the main requisite for the achievement of the highest CO conversion at the lowest temperature. The higher activity of the Au/CeO2 (DP) sample with respect to the Au/SiO2 (DP) catalyst can be ascribed to a better stabilization of the Au+1 ions, probably as AuO- species, by the cerium oxide.

The structural evolution of two Pt/ceria–zirconia catalysts, characterized by different amounts of supported Pt, was monitored by in situ X-ray diffraction during the anaerobic oxidation of CO at different temperatures. In a first phase, oxygen coming from the surface layers of the ceria–zirconia mixed oxide is consumed and no structural variation of the support is observed. After this induction time, bulk reduction of Pt/ceria–zirconia takes place as a step-like process, while the CO2 production continues at a nearly constant rate. This behavior is totally different from that of the metal-free support in similar reaction conditions, that show a gradual bulk reduction. In repeated oxidation–reduction cycles, it was observed that the induction time in Pt/ceria–zirconia is a function of the thermal history, of the amount of supported Pt and of the structural evolution of the samples. r 2003 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

This interdisciplinary work combines the use of shape- and size-defined Pd nanocrystals (cubes of 10 and 18 nm, and octahedra of 37 nm) with in situ techniques and DFT calculations to unravel the dynamic phenomena with respect to Pd reconstruction taking place during acetylene hydrogenation. Notably, it was found that the reacting Pd surface evolved at a different pace depending on the shape of the Pd nanocrystals, due to their specific propensity to form carbides under reaction conditions. Indeed, Pd cubes (Pd(100)) reacted with acetylene to form a PdC0.13 phase at a rate roughly 6-fold higher than that of octahedra (Pd(111)), resulting in nanocrystals with different degrees of carburization. DFT calculations revealed changes in the electronic and geometric properties of the Pd nanocrystals imposed by the progressive addition of carbon in its lattice.