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Multiscale Sampling of a Heterogeneous Water/Metal Catalyst Interface using Density Functional Theory and Force-Field Molecular Dynamics
Published on: April 12, 2019
Volcano-type relationship between oxidation states and catalytic activity of single-atom catalysts towards hydrogen
Dong Cao1, Haoxiang Xu1, Hongliang Li2
1State Key Laboratory of Organic-Inorganic Composites and Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, 100029, PR China.
Abstract:
To date, the effect of oxidation state on activity remains controversial in whether higher or lower oxidation states benefit the enhancement of catalytic activity. Herein, we discover a volcanic relationship between oxidation state and hydrogen evolution reaction activity based on Os single-atom catalysts. Firstly, a series of Os SACs with oxidation states ranging from + 0.9 to + 2.9 are synthesized via modifying the coordination environments, including Os-N3S1, Os-N4, Os-S6, Os-C3, and Os-C4S2. A volcano-type relation between oxidation states and hydrogen evolution activity emerge with a summit at a moderate experimental oxidation state of + 1.3 (Os-N3S1). Mechanism studies illustrate that with increasing oxidation states, the adsorption of H atoms on Os is strengthened due to increased energy level and decreased occupancy of anti-bonding states of Os-H bond until the anti-bonding states become empty. Further increasing the oxidation states weakens hydrogen adsorption because of the decreased occupancy of Os-H bonding states. In this work, we emphasize the essential role of oxidation state in manipulating activity, which offers insightful guidance for the rational design of single-atom catalysts.
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