Effects of Cr-doping on the adsorption and dissociation of S, SO, and SO₂ on Ni(111) surfaces

Nickel-based alloys are widely applied materials in high-temperature applications because they exhibit superior corrosion resistance and mechanical properties. The effects of sulfur, which is invariably present in industrial atmospheres, on the early stages of oxidation of Ni-based surfaces are not well understood. Here we use density functional theory to investigate the interactions of sulfur, SO, and SO₂ with the Ni(111) and Cr-doped Ni(111) surface and elucidate their electronic interactions and potential energy surfaces. The results show that Cr doping of the Ni(111) surface increases the adsorption energies of sulfur, oxygen on the sulfur pre-adsorbed condition, SO and SO₂. Further, this increase positively correlates with Cr concentration on top of the Ni(111) surface, although sulfur does not have any preferential interaction with Cr. This explains why Cr doping has little effect on the activation energy of sulfur for the most preferable diffusion path. Nevertheless, the increase in adsorption energies indicates a strong interaction with Cr-doped surfaces, which is due to the Cr-enhanced charge transfer to sulfur adsorbates. The existence of pre-adsorbed sulfur is shown to have a destabilizing effect on the oxygen interactions with the surfaces. Our results show that Cr doping helps to stabilize the protective oxide scale on Ni(111) surfaces and enhances its corrosion resistance.