Ab initio molecular dynamics of solvation effects on reactivity at electrified interfaces

Using ab initio molecular dynamics as implemented in periodic, self-consistent (generalized gradient approximation Perdew-Burke-Ernzerhof) density functional theory, we investigated the mechanism of methanol electrooxidation on Pt(111). We investigated the role of water solvation and electrode potential on the energetics of the first proton transfer step, methanol electrooxidation to methoxy (CH3O) or hydroxymethyl (CH2OH). The results show that solvation weakens the adsorption of methoxy to uncharged Pt(111), whereas the binding energies of methanol and hydroxymethyl are not significantly affected. The free energies of activation for breaking the C-H and O-H bonds in methanol were calculated through a Blue Moon Ensemble using constrained ab initio molecular dynamics. Calculated barriers for these elementary steps on unsolvated, uncharged Pt(111) are similar to results for climbing-image nudged elastic band calculations from the literature. Water solvation reduces the barriers for both C-H and O-H bond activation steps with respect to their vapor-phase values, although the effect is more pronounced for C-H bond activation, due to less disruption of the hydrogen bond network. The calculated activation energy barriers show that breaking the C-H bond of methanol is more facile than the O-H bond on solvated negatively biased or uncharged Pt(111). However, with positive bias, O-H bond activation is enhanced, becoming slightly more facile than C-H bond activation.