Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 11, 2025

Multiscale Sampling of a Heterogeneous Water/Metal Catalyst Interface using Density Functional Theory and Force-Field Molecular Dynamics
Published on: April 12, 2019
Reaction modelling of hydrogen evolution on nickel phosphide catalysts: density functional investigation
Syam Sadan1, Ingeborg-Helene Svenum2,3, Sander Ø Hanslin1
1Department of Physics, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, NO-7491 Trondheim, Norway. jaakko.akola@ntnu.no.
Abstract:
Nickel phosphides (NiP), particularly Ni2P, are promising catalysts for the acidic hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). Using density functional theory (DFT), we model HER at the potential of zero charge (PZC), incorporating solvation effects via an explicit water cluster and implicit surrounding solvent. Comparing the Volmer, Tafel, and Heyrovsky steps under saturated hydrogen coverage on Ni2P(0001) terminations, we find that the Ni3P2 (pristine) surface termination prefers the Volmer-Volmer-Tafel (VVT) pathway with activation energy (Ea) of 0.57 eV. Conversely, the Ni3P2 + 4P (reconstructed) surface favors the Volmer-Heyrovsky (VH) pathway with Ea = 0.60 eV. For the pristine surface termination, the differential gas-phase hydrogen adsorption free energies (ΔGdiff) correlate with the Volmer and Tafel step reaction energies, and a linear Bell-Evans-Polanyi relationship for the calculated activation and reaction energies validates the usefulness of the ΔGdiff descriptor for the Volmer step under PZC conditions. Nickel atoms play a crucial role in H2 production on both pristine and reconstructed surfaces, suggesting that modifications of the Ni sites can be used for catalyst design. Our findings highlight the importance of considering surface reconstruction and solvation effects on the HER catalytic performance.
More Related Videos
12:08Catalytic Reactions at Amine-Stabilized and Ligand-Free Platinum Nanoparticles Supported on Titania During Hydrogenation of Alkenes and Aldehydes
Published on: June 24, 2022
10:57Synthesis and Performance Characterizations of Transition Metal Single Atom Catalyst for Electrochemical CO2 Reduction
Published on: April 10, 2018
Related Concept Videos
Catalysis
Reduction of Alkenes: Catalytic Hydrogenation
Metals like palladium, platinum, and nickel are commonly used in their solid forms — fine powder on an inert surface. As these catalysts remain insoluble in the reaction mixture, they are referred to as heterogeneous catalysts.
The hydrogenation process takes place on the...
Reduction of Alkenes: Asymmetric Catalytic Hydrogenation
The metal catalyst used can be either heterogeneous or homogeneous. When hydrogenation of an alkene generates a chiral center, a pair of enantiomeric products is expected to form. However, an enantiomeric excess of one of the products can be facilitated using an enantioselective reaction or an...
Reduction of Alkynes to cis-Alkenes: Catalytic Hydrogenation
Like alkenes, alkynes can be reduced to alkanes in the presence of transition metal catalysts such as Pt, Pd, or Ni. The reaction involves two sequential syn additions of hydrogen via a cis-alkene intermediate.
Precipitation Gravimetry
In determining nickel by gravimetric analysis, a precipitant of ethanolic dimethylglyoxime is added to a hot nickel salt solution. This is quickly followed by the dropwise addition of dilute ammonia solution until precipitation occurs. A...