Scattering of CO from Vacant-MoSe₂ with O Adsorbates: Is CO₂ Formed?

Using ab initio molecular dynamics (AIMD) simulations, based on density functional theory that also accounts for van der Waals interactions, we study the oxidation of gas-phase CO on MoSe₂ with a Se vacancy and oxygen coverage of 0.125 ML. In the equilibrium configuration, one of the O atoms is adsorbed on the vacancy and the other one atop one Se atom. Recombination of the CO molecule with the second of these O atoms to form CO₂ is a highly exothermic reaction, with an energy gain of around 3 eV. The likeliness of the CO oxidation reaction on this surface is next examined by calculating hundreds of AIMD trajectories for incidence energies that suffice to overcome the energy barriers in the entrance channel of the CO oxidative recombination. In spite of this, no CO₂ formation event is obtained. In most of the calculated trajectories, the incoming CO molecule is directly reflected, and in some cases, mainly at low energies, the molecules remain trapped at the surface but without reacting. As an important conclusion, our AIMD simulations show that the recombination of CO molecules with adsorbed O atoms is a very unlikely reaction in this system, despite its large exothermicity.