characterization of nanoparticles.

Nanoparticles (NPs) make for intriguing heterogeneous catalysts due to their large active surface area and excellent and often size-dependent catalytic properties that emerge from a multitude of chemically different surface reaction sites. NP catalysts are, in principle, also highly tunable: even small changes to the NP size or surface facet composition, doping with heteroatoms, or changes of the supporting material can significantly alter their physicochemical properties. Because synthesis of size- and shape-controlled NP catalysts is challenging, the ability to computationally predict the most favorable NP structures for a catalytic reaction of interest is an in-demand skill that can help accelerate and streamline the material optimization process.

Atomistic Studies on Water-Induced Lithium Corrosion.

It is well known that lithium reacts violently with water under the release of molecular hydrogen and the formation of lithium hydroxide. In this work, the initial mechanisms for the surface reactions of metallic lithium with water from the gas phase were investigated by means of periodic density functional theory calculations. For this purpose, adsorption/absorption structures and diffusion and dissociation processes of hydrogen, OH, and H O on low-index metallic lithium surfaces were investigated.

Assessment of the Accuracy of Density Functionals for Calculating Oxygen Reduction Reaction on Nitrogen-Doped Graphene.

Experimental studies of the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) at nitrogen-doped graphene electrodes have reported a remarkably low overpotential, on the order of 0.5 V, similar to Pt-based electrodes. Theoretical calculations using density functional theory have lent support to this claim.

Simulations of the Oxidation and Degradation of Platinum Electrocatalysts.

Improved understanding of the fundamental processes leading to degradation of platinum nanoparticle electrocatalysts is essential to the continued advancement of their catalytic activity and stability. To this end, the oxidation of platinum nanoparticles is simulated using a ReaxFF reactive force field within a grand-canonical Monte Carlo scheme. 2-4 nm cuboctahedral particles serve as model systems, for which electrochemical potential-dependent phase diagrams are constructed from the thermodynamically most stable oxide structures, including solvation and thermochemical contributions.

Microscopic Properties of Na and Li-A First Principle Study of Metal Battery Anode Materials.

Using density functional theory, we studied the bulk and surface properties of Li and Na electrodes on an atomistic level. To get a better understanding of the initial stages of surface growth phenomena (and thus dendrite formation), various self-diffusion mechanisms were studied. For this purpose, dedicated diffusion pathways on the surfaces of Na and Li were investigated within the terrace-step-kink (TSK) model utilizing nudged elastic band calculations.

First principles studies of self-diffusion processes on metallic lithium surfaces.

Due to the theoretical high specific capacity (3860 mAh/g) and the low standard electrode potential (-3.040 V vs. standard hydrogen electrode), rechargeable lithium metal batteries are considered as excellent energy storage systems.

Molybdenum Doping Augments Platinum-Copper Oxygen Reduction Electrocatalyst.

Improving the efficiency of Pt-based oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) catalysts while also reducing costs remains an important challenge in energy research. To this end, we synthesized highly stable and active carbon-supported Mo-doped PtCu (Mo-PtCu/C) nanoparticles (NPs) from readily available precursors in a facile one-pot reaction. Mo-PtCu/C displays two-to-fourfold-higher ORR half-cell kinetics than reference PtCu/C and Pt/C materials, a trend that was confirmed in proof-of-concept experiments by using a H /O microlaminar fuel cell.

Growth of Stable Surface Oxides on Pt(111) at Near-Ambient Pressures.

Detailed knowledge of the structure and degree of oxidation of platinum surfaces under operando conditions is essential for understanding catalytic performance. However, experimental investigations of platinum surface oxides have been hampered by technical limitations, preventing in situ investigations at relevant pressures. As a result, the time-dependent evolution of oxide formation has only received superficial treatment.

Surface Buckling and Subsurface Oxygen: Atomistic Insights into the Surface Oxidation of Pt(111).

Platinum is a catalyst of choice in scientific investigations and technological applications, which are both often carried out in the presence of oxygen. Thus, a fundamental understanding of platinum's (electro)catalytic behavior requires a detailed knowledge of the structure and degree of oxidation of platinum surfaces in operando. ReaxFF reactive force field calculations of the surface energies for structures with up to one monolayer of oxygen on Pt(111) reveal four stable surface phases characterized by pure adsorbate, high- and low-coverage buckled, and subsurface-oxygen structures, respectively.

Development of a ReaxFF potential for Pt-O systems describing the energetics and dynamics of Pt-oxide formation.

ReaxFF force field parameters describing Pt-Pt and Pt-O interactions have been developed and tested. The Pt-Pt parameters are shown to accurately account for the chemical nature, atomic structures and other materials properties of bulk platinum phases, low and high-index platinum surfaces and nanoclusters. The Pt-O parameters reliably describe bulk platinum oxides, as well as oxygen adsorption and oxide formation on Pt(111) terraces and the {111} and {100} steps connecting them.

Nanoscale-faceting of metal surfaces induced by adsorbates.

Using density functional theory and thermodynamic considerations, adsorbate-induced faceting of high-index metal surfaces such as Ir(210) and Re(112 1) has been studied. Focusing on these two systems we first discuss the adsorption behaviour of oxygen and nitrogen on the various surfaces relevant for the faceting, and afterwards use these energies to evaluate the stability of substrates and facets in the presence of oxygen and nitrogen. The faceting phase diagrams of Ir(210) and Re(112 1) show that both adsorbates enhance the anisotropy in surface free energy, finally causing nanofacets to become the thermodynamically favourable surface structure.

Two-dimensional assembly of magnetic binuclear complexes: a scanning tunneling microscopy study.

Mono- and binuclear metal-organic compounds bearing long alkyl chains were synthesized and studied at the liquid/graphite interface using scanning tunneling microscopy. Two different lamellar surface patterns as well as a star like structure were obtained driven by van der Waals interactions of the alkyl chains and weak hydrogen bonds of the phenoxy moieties. In the case of the star like structure solvent molecules (1,2,4-trichlorobenzene) are supposed to play an important role for the stabilization of the created pattern.