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Improving the wettability of Ag/ZrB2 system by Ti, Zr and Hf addition: An insight from first-principle calculations
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Thermodynamic modelingand first-principles calculations of theMo O system
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Thermodynamic modeling of the CaO–CaF2–Al2O3 system aided by first-principles calculations
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Equation of state of solid, liquid and gaseous tantalum from first principles
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CALPHAD modeling of uranium nitride (UN) fabrication routes enabled by first-principles calculations
The thermochemical details of fabricating uranium nitride (UN) by ammonolysis of uranium tetraflouride (UF 4 ) were determined using density functional theory (DFT) and CALculation of PHAse Diagrams (CALPHAD) computational methods. The thermochemical data of all binary, ternary, and quaternary U-H-N-F phases were computed using DFT, and the data for the phases that have not been measured experimentally, including UN 2 and NH 4 F(g), were combined with existing experimentally-determined data for CALPHAD modeling. The DFT data were benchmarked using experimental Gibbs energy of reaction and experimental thermochemical data for individual species. Phase diagrams relevant to the ammonolysis reaction are depicted, showing regions of stability for solid U-N, U-F and U-N-F phases. An unidentified phase produced in a previous experiment was identified as UN 0.95 F 1.2 (UNF) by comparing its X-ray diffraction spectrum to the experimental spectrum, and its formation during the fabrication of UN from UF 4 is supported by the simulated phase diagram. Here, it is calculated that UN 2 can be produced by the ammonolysis of UF 4 , but requires elevated temperatures, high NH 3 (g) partial pressure, and large amounts of flowing NH 3 (g) to avoid solid flu oride impurities in the uranium nitride. Likewise, U 2 N 3 can be produced instead at temperatures greater than 980 K. The use of silane (SiH 4 ) gas was investigated as a potential additive in the ammonolysis fabrication route to speed removal of fluorine. The addition of SiH 4 (g) offers little advantage to the removal of fluorine, and adds the complication of Si 3 N 4 formation. The use of DFT to fill in missing data to perform CALPHAD calculations demonstrated here allows for the determination of more comprehensive and trustworthy phase diagrams than the use of existing experimental data alone.
First-principles study of carbon impurity effects in the pseudo-hexagonal Ta2O5
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Effects of Potassium Doping on CO Hydrogenation Over MoS2 Catalysts: A First-Principles Investigation
Periodic density functional theory calculations were performed to explore the effects of doping potassium (K) on the reactivity of CO hydrogenation to mixed higher alcohols over MoS2 catalysts. We found that the doped K species over the model MoS2(100) catalyst surface acts as a unique site for CO adsorption where either the K-C or the K-O bonding is allowed. The charge transfer from the K 4s electron to the conduction band of the MoS2(100) surface slightly enhances CO adsorption at the edge Mo sites. Due to the large electropositive nature, the presence of the surface K species, however, will hinder the dissociative adsorption of hydrogen. As a result, the doping K species drive CO hydrogenation selectivity toward the C2+ alcohols instead of hydrocarbons by increasing CO and decreasing hydrogen coverages on the MoS2 catalysts. To further elucidate the effect of doping K on the shifting of the selectivity toward CO hydrogenation, we calculated several key reaction steps leading to the H2CCO precursor formation, i.e., CO hydrogenation, the C-O bond scission and the C-C coupling (CH2+CO). The C-C coupling step is favorable for both the Mo and S edges. However, the undoped S edge has an overall more thermodynamically favorable reaction profile up to C-O scission compared with the Mo edge. This work was funded by a CRADA project (No. PNNL/297) with Range Fuels. The research was performed using EMSL, a national scientific user facility sponsored by the Department of Energy's Office of Biological and Environmental Research and located at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. The work involving the results analysis and mansucript writing was supported by the US Department of Energy, Office of Basic Energy Sciences, Division of Chemical Sciences, Geosciences & Biosciences.
Understanding the conversion of ethanol to propene on In 2 O 3 from first principles
It is highly desirable to convert bioethanol to value-added chemicals. As such, conversion of ethanol to propene (ETP) is attractive because propene is an important raw material for the production of plastics. In 2 O 3 has shown promising catalytic performance for ETP conversion. However, the underlying mechanisms remain elusive. Here, we use density functional theory (DFT) to investigate ETP reaction pathways on the In 2 O 3 (110) surface. We find that the ETP reactions proceed through three major stages: ethanol to acetaldehyde, acetaldehyde to acetone, and acetone to propene. The ethanol-to-acetaldehyde step is kinetically facile. Comparing the two pathways from acetaldehyde to acetone, we show that the aldol reaction pathway via direct coupling of two acetaldehyde is more favorable than the acetate-ketonization pathway. The acetone-to-propene process is found to be the rate-limiting step of the overall reaction. This work provides a detailed mechanistic view of the ETP chemistry on In 2 O 3 (110) that paves the way for further exploration of effects such as surface termination, surface doping, and co-feeding of H 2 and H 2 O on selectivity and catalyst stability.
First-principle investigation on catalytic hydrogenation of benzaldehyde over Pt-group metals
We report that understanding the hydrogenation of organic compounds in the aqueous phase has always been fundamentally important for improving carbon neutral pathways to fuels and value-added chemicals. In this study, we investigated both thermodynamic and kinetic profiles of benzaldehyde hydrogenation over the Pd(111) and Pt(111) metal surfaces using density functional theory (DFT) and ab initio molecular dynamic (AIMD) simulations. The adsorption of H 2 shows the mixed preference of H adsorption sites on the Pt(111), while the fcc adsorption site is dominant for H on the Pd(111). When benzaldehyde is added to the systems, we observe a strong reduction of benzaldehyde on charged Pd (111) surface compared with that on neutral surface. In contrast, charged state of the Pt(111) surface does not change their interaction. Subsequent hydrogenation reaction of benzaldehyde over Pd(111), proceeding via Langmuir-Hinshelwood mechanism, is affected by two major factors: the presence of H 2 O solvent and surface charge. The presence of H 2 O solvent greatly reduces the activation energy of C-H and O-H bond formation during the hydrogenation process. Furthermore, the hydrogenation step via C-H bond formation is preferred thermodynamically and kinetically over O-H bond formation during thermocatalytic hydrogenation, while the opposite trend holds true during electrocatalytic hydrogenation.
Infrared spectra of jennite and tobermorite from first-principles
The infrared absorption spectra of jennite, tobermorite 14 Å, anomalous tobermorite 11 Å, and normal tobermorite 11 Å are simulated within a density-functional-theory scheme. The atomic coordinates and the cell parameters are optimized resulting in structures which agree with previous studies. The vibrational frequencies and modes are obtained for each mineral. The vibrational density of states is analyzed through extensive projections on silicon tetrahedra, oxygen atoms, OH groups, and water molecules. The coupling with the electric field is achieved through the use of density functional perturbation theory, which yields Born effective charges and dielectric constants. The simulated absorption spectra reproduce well the experimental spectra, thereby allowing for a detailed interpretation of the spectral features in terms of the underlying vibrational modes. In the far-infrared part of the absorption spectra, the interplay between Ca and Si related vibrations leads to differences which are sensitive to the calcium/silicon ratio of the mineral.