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Updated: Aug 5, 2026
11:10
Atomic Layer Deposition of Vanadium Dioxide and a Temperature-dependent Optical Model
Published on: May 23, 2018
Size-Selective CO2 Activation by Vanadium-Doped Cobalt Clusters
Deepak Pradeep1,2, Barbara Zamora Yusti3, Rutger T Zijlstra1,2
1HFML-FELIX, Toernooiveld 7, 6525 ED, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
The Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters
|July 27, 2026
Summary
Vanadium doping in cobalt clusters significantly enhances carbon dioxide activation for catalysis. This doping enables size-selective CO2 adsorption and dissociation, crucial for developing advanced catalysts.
Area of Science:
- Surface Science
- Catalysis
- Materials Science
Background:
- Carbon dioxide (CO2) activation is a key step in CO2 reduction to valuable C2 products.
- Understanding the influence of dopant elements on bimetallic catalyst reactivity is essential for catalyst design.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effect of vanadium (V) doping on the CO2 adsorption and activation properties of cationic cobalt (Co) clusters.
- To elucidate the role of dopant elements and cluster size in tuning catalyst reactivity for CO2 reduction.
Main Methods:
- Experimental study of CO2 adsorption on pure and vanadium-doped cationic cobalt clusters (Co_n+ and VCo_n-1+).
- Characterization of cluster-CO2 products using free-electron laser-based infrared (IR) spectroscopy.
- Computational analysis using absolute localized molecular orbital-based energy-decomposition analysis.
Main Results:
- Pure Co_n+ clusters exhibit primarily physisorbed CO2, with minimal reactivity.
- Vanadium-doped VCo_n-1+ clusters show size-selective CO2 activation, dissociation, and cluster oxidation, evidenced by distinct IR spectra.
- Charge transfer into the CO2 antibonding π* orbital, a more positive vanadium atom, and a strong dative V-O bond facilitate CO2 activation.
Conclusions:
- Vanadium doping dramatically alters the reactivity of cobalt clusters towards CO2, enabling efficient activation and dissociation.
- The interplay between dopant element (V) and cluster size is critical for tuning catalytic performance.
- This study highlights a pathway for designing tailored bimetallic catalysts for CO2 utilization.
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