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Computational Design of Catalysts: The Control of Chemical Transformation to Minimize the Environmental Impact of Chemical Processes


EMSL Project ID
20691

Abstract

Catalysis is governed by a delicate balance between a myriad of competing bond making and breaking processes including adsorption, reaction, desorption, and surface diffusion that occur at active catalytic centers. These processes are explicitly controlled by the intrinsic bonds that form between the reactants or intermediates and the active catalytic site as well as by the local nanoscale environment about the site. For example, the specific atomic structural configuration and chemical makeup of the ligands that surround an active organometallic center in homogeneous catalysis; and the pore size, local acidity, and specific atomic structure in zeolite control their activity and selectivity in ways that are similar to that found in enzymes. Similarly, supported metal particles and metal oxides are complicated by their complex and ill-defined structure. The catalytic behavior is governed by their size and shape, interaction with the support, composition and atomic configuration for metal alloys and mixed metal oxides, the influence of solution as well as the presence of electric fields or applied potentials. We propose to use advanced computational chemistry approaches implemented on massively parallel computers to develop a quantitative description of catalysts so as to develop new design criteria and to develop new understanding of the physical phenomena that occur at different spatial and temporal scales and that underlie catalytic behavior. Catalysis is about improving kinetics and catalyst design will require quantitative information about transition states for critical reaction processes. Currently information about transition states, especially geometric and spectral information, is only readily accessible by computational methods. Yet such information is critical if we are to develop a language that can describe the events at the atomic level that describe homogeneous, heterogeneous and bio-catalysis. Computational chemistry is an enabling tool for addressing challenges in the optimal design of processes for controlling and enabling chemical transformations leading to processes that have high selectivity, have minimal environmental impact, and are optimal in their use of energy. We will apply the techniques of computational chemistry to address a variety of problems in catalysis science including: oxidative dehydrogenation; organic oxidation chemistry and selectivity; hydrogenation of alkenes and isomerization of alkenes and alkanes; olefin epoxidation; single site olefin polymerization catalysts; mechanisms of charge transfer; charge trapping and energy redistribution for organic photooxidation reactions; the cleavage of C-S, H-S, O-C, N-H bonds activated by metal complexation; supported BaO as NOx storage and reduction catalysts for lean-burn engines; supported single site transition metal catalysts; bond enthalpies for transition metal complexes for metal-alkyls and -hydrides; metastable bimetallic surfaces as catalysts for low temperature fuel cells, water-gas-shift reaction for hydrogen production, and Fischer-Tropsch synthesis of liquid fuels from synthesis gas; Pd(0)- and Pt(0)-catalyzed element-element addition to unsaturated hydrocarbons; activation of the NN bond and its transformations; and electrocatalytic processes.

Project Details

Project type
Capability Research
Start Date
2006-10-01
End Date
2009-09-30
Status
Closed

Team

Principal Investigator

David Dixon
Institution
University of Alabama

Team Members

Monica Vasiliu
Institution
University of Alabama

Matthew Kelley
Institution
University of Alabama

Amanda Stott
Institution
University of Alabama

Mingyang Chen
Institution
University of Alabama

Edward Garner
Institution
University of Alabama

Jason Dyer
Institution
University of Alabama

Zibo Keolopile
Institution
Heriot-Watt University

Jens Stotz
Institution
University of Wisconsin, Madison

Carrie Farberow
Institution
University of Wisconsin, Madison

Jeffrey Herron
Institution
University of Wisconsin, Madison

Robert Abel
Institution
Columbia University

Jiao Jiao
Institution
University of Wisconsin, Madison

Guowen Peng
Institution
University of Wisconsin, Madison

Yu Cai
Institution
University of Virginia

Alexander Abramov
Institution
University of Iceland

Roger Rousseau
Institution
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

Jeffrey Switzer
Institution
Purdue University

Aleksey Kuznetsov
Institution
Emory University

Lei Cheng
Institution
Argonne National Laboratory

Krista Novstrup
Institution
Purdue University

Craig Plaisance
Institution
University of Virginia

Ioannis-Sozon Kerkines-Keramidas
Institution
Emory University

Corneliu Buda
Institution
University of Virginia

David McCann
Institution
University of Southern California

Virgil Jackson
Institution
University of Alabama

Sanliang Ling
Institution
University College London

Ahmet Altun
Institution
Emory University

Tsang-hsiu Wang
Institution
University of Alabama

Rachel Getman
Institution
University of Notre Dame

Denise Ford
Institution
University of Wisconsin, Madison

Adrienne Lukaski
Institution
University of Delaware

Faisal Mehmood
Institution
Air Force Research Laboratory

Minh Nguyen
Institution
University of Alabama

Myrna Hernandez Matus
Institution
University of Alabama

Falk Eichhorn
Institution
University of Wisconsin, Madison

James Caruthers
Institution
Purdue University

Donghai Mei
Institution
Tiangong University

Nathaniel Deskins
Institution
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Vamsi Vadhri
Institution
University of Virginia

Peter Ferrin
Institution
University of Wisconsin, Madison

Daniel Grant
Institution
University of Alabama

Raluca Craciun
Institution
University of Alabama

Shenggang Li
Institution
University of Alabama

Qingfeng Ge
Institution
Southern Illinois University

Jincheng Du
Institution
University of North Texas

Lijun Xu
Institution
University of Virginia

Rahul Nabar
Institution
University of Wisconsin, Madison

Anand Nilekar
Institution
University of Wisconsin, Madison

Michael Janik
Institution
Pennsylvania State University

Emmanouil Mavrikakis
Institution
University of Wisconsin, Madison

Lars Grabow
Institution
University of Wisconsin, Madison

Mark Barteau
Institution
University of Michigan

Maciej Gutowski
Institution
Heriot-Watt University

Keiji Morokuma
Institution
Emory University

Michel Dupuis
Institution
University at Albany, State University of New York

Donald Camaioni
Institution
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

James Franz
Institution
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

Lai-Sheng Wang
Institution
Brown University

Jun Li
Institution
Tsinghua University

James Haw
Institution
University of Southern California

Matthew Neurock
Institution
University of Minnesota

William Schneider
Institution
University of Notre Dame

Clark Landis
Institution
University of Wisconsin, Madison

Related Publications

Adzic RR, J Zhang, K Sasaki, MB Vukmirovic, M Shao, JX Wang, AU Nilekar, M Mavrikakis, JA Valerio, and F Uribe. 2007. "Platinum Monolayer Fuel Cell Electrocatalysts." Topics in Catalysis 46(3-4):249-262. doi:10.1007/s11244-007-9003-x
Alayoglu S, AU Nilekar, E Mavrikakis, and BW Eichhorn. 2008. "Ru–Pt core–shell nanoparticles for preferential oxidation of carbon monoxide in hydrogen." Nature Materials 7:333-338. doi:10.1038/nmat2156
Alayoglu S, AU Nilekar, E Mavrikakis, and BW Eichhorn. 2008. "Ru–Pt core–shell nanoparticles for preferential oxidation of carbon monoxide in hydrogen." Nature Materials 7(4):333-338. doi:10.1038/nmat2156
Barteau MA. 2006. "Surface science and the advancement of direct olefin epoxidation A perspective on the article, ‘‘Partial oxidation of higher olefins on Ag(111) and Ag(110): Conversion of styrene to styrene oxide, benzene, and benzoic acid’’, by Andreas Klust and Robert J. Madix." Surface Science 600(23):5021-5023.
Bruch LW, RP Nabar, and M Mavrikakis. 2009. "Weak Molecular Chemisorption of N2/Pt(111)." Journal of Physics: Condensed Matter 21(26):264009-264016. doi:10.1088/0953-8984/21/26/264009
Calaza F, D Stacchiola, M Neurock, and WT Tysoe. 2010. "Coverage Effects on the Palladium-Catalyzed Synthesis of Vinyl Acetate: Comparison between Theory and Experiment." Journal of the American Chemical Society 132(7):2202-2207. doi:10.1021/ja907061m
Cheng L, and Q Ge. 2007. "Effect of γ-Al₂O₃ substrate on NO₂ interaction with supported BaO clusters." Surface Science 601(12):L65-L68.
Cheng L, and Q Ge. 2008. "Effect of BaO Morphology on NOx Abatement: NO? Interaction with Unsupported and ?-Al?O?-Supported BaO." Journal of Physical Chemistry C 112(43):16924–16931. doi:10.1021/jp806884c
Craciun R, D Picone, RT Long, S Li, DA Dixon, KA Peterson, and KO Christe. 2010. "Third Row Transition Metal Hexafluorides, Extraordinary Oxidizers, and Lewis Acids: Electron Affinities, Fluoride Affinities, and Heats of Formation of WF?, ReF?, OsF?, IrF?, PtF?, and AuF?." Inorganic Chemistry 49(3):1056-1070. doi:10.1021/ic901967h
Dixon DA, DJ Grant, KO Christe, and KA Peterson. 2008. "Structure and Heats of Formation of Iodine Fluorides and the Respective Closed-Shell Ions from CCSD(T) Electronic Structure Calculations and Reliable Prediction of the Steric Activity of the Free-Valence Electron Pair in ClF??, BrF??, and IF??." Inorganic Chemistry 47(12):5485-5494. doi:10.1021/ic800021h
Dixon DA, T Wang, DJ Grant, KA Peterson, KO Christe, and GJ Schrobilgen. 2007. "Heats of Formation of Krypton Fluorides and Stability Predictions for KrF4 and KrF6 from High Level Electronic Structure Calculations." Inorganic Chemistry 46(23):10016-10021.
Enever MC, S Linic, K Uffalussy, JM Vohs, and MA Barteau. 2004. "Synthesis, Structure and Reactions of Stable Oxametallacycles from Styrene Oxide on Ag(111)." Journal of Physical Chemistry B 109(6):2227-2233.
Ferrin PA, and M Mavrikakis. 2009. "Structure Sensitivity of Methanol Electrooxidation on Transition Metals." Journal of the American Chemical Society 131(40):14381-14389. doi:10.1021/ja904010u
Ferrin PA, DA Simonetti, S Kandoi, EL Kunkes, JA Dumesic, JK Norskov, and E Mavrikakis. 2009. "Modeling Ethanol Decomposition on Transition Metals: A Combined Application of Scaling and Brønsted-Evans-Polanyi Relations." Journal of the American Chemical Society 131:5809-5815. doi:10.1021/ja8099322
Ferrin PA, S Kandoi, J Zhang, RR Adzic, and M Mavrikakis. 2009. "Molecular and Atomic Hydrogen Interactions with Au-Ir Near-Surface Alloys." Journal of Physical Chemistry C 113:1411-1417. doi:10.1021/jp804758y
Ferrin P, AU Nilekar, JP Greeley, M Mavrikakis, and J Rossmeisl. 2008. "Reactivity Descriptors for Direct Methanol Fuel Cell Anode Catalysts." Surface Science 602(21):3424-3431. doi:10.1016/j.susc.2008.08.011
Gokhale AA, JA Dumesic, and M Mavrikakis. 2008. "On the Mechanism of Low-Temperature Water Gas Shift Reaction on Copper." Journal of the American Chemical Society 130(4):1402-1414. doi:10.1021/ja0768237
Grabow LC, AA Gokhale, ST Evans, JA Dumesic, and E Mavrikakis. 2008. "Mechanism of the Water Gas Shift Reaction on Pt: First Principles, Experiments, and Microkinetic Modeling." Journal of Physical Chemistry C 112(12):4608-4617. doi:10.1021/jp7099702
Grant DJ, MH Matus, JR Switzer, DA Dixon, JS Francisco, and KO Christe. 2008. "Bond Dissociation Energies in Second-Row Compounds." Journal of Physical Chemistry A 112(14):3145-3156. doi:10.1021/jp710373e
Grant DJ, TH Wang, and DA Dixon. 2010. "Heats of Formation of XeF??, XeF??, XeF??, XeF??, and XeF? from High Level Electronic Structure Calculations." Inorganic Chemistry 49(1):261-270. doi:10.1021/ic901956g
Greeley JP, and M Mavrikakis. 2007. "On the Role of Subsurface Oxygen and Ethylenedioxy in Ethylene Epoxidation on Silver." Journal of Physical Chemistry C 111(22):7992-7999.
Gutowski KE, RD Rogers, and DA Dixon. 2007. "Accurate Thermochemical Properties for Energetic Materials Applications. II. Heats of Formation of Imidazolium-, 1,2,4-Triazolium-, and Tetrazolium-Based Energetic Salts fromIsodesmic and Lattice Energy Calculations. ." Journal of Physical Chemistry B 111(18):4788-4800.
Gu X, S Bulusu, X Li, X Zeng, J Li, XG Gong, and LS Wang. 2007. "Au34-: A Fluxional Core-Shell Cluster." Journal of Physical Chemistry C 111(23):8228-8232.
Ishikawa A, M Neurock, and E Iglesia. 2007. "Structural Requirements and Reaction Pathways in Dimethyl Ether Combustion Catalyzed by Supported Pt Clusters." Journal of the American Chemical Society 129(43):13201-13212. doi:10.1021/ja073712z
Jaffe JE, RA Bachorz, and MS Gutowski. 2007. "Band Offset and Magnetic Property Engineering for Epitaxial Interfaces: A Monolayer of M2O3 (M=Al, Ga, Sc, Ti, Ni) at the alpha-Fe203/alpha-Cr203 (0001) Interface." Physical Review. B, Condensed Matter and Materials Physics 75(20):205323.
Janik MJ, and M Neurock. 2007. "A first principles analysis of the electro-oxidation of CO over Pt(1 1 1)." Electrochimica Acta 52(18):5517-5528.
Janik MJ, CD Taylor, and M Neurock. 2007. "First Principles Analysis of the Electrocatalytic Oxidation of Methanol and Carbon Monoxide." Topics in Catalysis 46(3-4):306-319. doi:10.1007/s11244-007-9004-9
Janik MJ, J Macht, E Iglesia, and M Neurock. 2009. "Correlating Acid Properties and Catalytic Function: A First-Principles Analysis of Alcohol Dehydration Pathways on Polyoxometalates." Journal of Physical Chemistry C 113(5):1872-1885. doi:10.1021/jp8078748
Knudsen J, AU Nilekar, RT Vang, J Schnadt, EL Kunkes, JA Dumesic, M Mavrikakis, and F Besenbacher. 2007. "A Cu/Pt Near-Surface Alloy for Water-Gas Shift Catalysis." Journal of the American Chemical Society 129(20):6485-6490.
Kwak JH, D Mei, CWW Yi, DH Kim, CHF Peden, L Allard, and J Szanyi. 2009. "Understanding the nature of surface nitrates in BaO/gamma-Al2O3 NOx storage materials: A combined experimental and theoretical study ." Journal of Catalysis 261(1):17-22.
Li S, and DA Dixon. 2007. "Benchmark Calculations on the Electron Detachment Energies of MO?? and M?O?? (M = Cr, Mo, W)." Journal of Physical Chemistry A 111(46):11908-11921. doi:10.1021/jp074768i
Li S, and DA Dixon. 2007. "Low-Lying Electronic States of M3O9- and M3O92- (M = Mo, W)" Journal of Physical Chemistry 111(38):11093-11099.
Li S, and DA Dixon. 2008. "Molecular Structures and Energetics of the (TiO?)n (n = 1-4) Clusters and Their Anions." Journal of Physical Chemistry A 112(29):6646-6666. doi:10.1021/jp800170q
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Li S, HJ Zhai, LS Wang, and DA Dixon. 2010. "Structural and Electronic Properties of Reduced Transition Metal Oxide Clusters, M?O? and M?O?? (M = Cr, W), from Photoelectron Spectroscopy and Quantum Chemical Calculations." Journal of Physical Chemistry A 113(42):11273-11288. doi:10.1021/jp9082008
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Mei D, NA Deskins, M Dupuis, and Q Ge. 2007. "Methanol adsorption on the clean CeO₂(111) surface: A density functional theory study." Journal of Physical Chemistry C 111(28):10514-10522.
Mei D, NA Deskins, M Dupuis, and Q Ge. 2008. "Density Functional Theory Study of Methanol Decomposition on the CeO2(110) Surface ." Journal of Physical Chemistry C 112(11):4257-4266.
Mei D, Q Ge, JH Kwak, DH Kim, J Szanyi, and CHF Peden. 2008. "Adsorption and Formation of BaO Overlayers on Gamma-Al2O3 Surfaces ." Journal of Physical Chemistry C 112(46):18050–18060. doi:10.1021/jp806212z
Mei D, Q Ge, JH Kwak, DH Kim, J Szanyi, and CHF Peden. 2008. "Adsorption and Formation of BaO Overlayers on Gamma-Al2O3 Surfaces ." Journal of Physical Chemistry C 112(46):18050–18060. doi:10.1021/jp806212z
Mei D, Q Ge, J Szanyi, and CHF Peden. 2009. "First-principles Analysis of NOx Adsorption on Anhydrous ?-Al2O3 Surfaces." Journal of Physical Chemistry C 113(18):7779-7789. doi:10.1021/jp8103563
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Rempel J, JP Greeley, LB Hansen, OH Nielsen, JK Norskov, and M Mavrikakis. 2009. "Step Effects on the Dissociation of NO on Close-Packed Rhodium Surfaces." Journal of Physical Chemistry C 113(48):20623-20631. doi:10.1021/jp904108c
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Taylor CD, RG Kelly, and M Neurock. 2007. "First-Principles Prediction of Equilibrium Potentials for Water Activation by a Series of Metals." Journal of the Electrochemical Society 154(12):F217-221. doi:10.1149/1.2783780
Vukmirovic MB, J Zhang, K Sasaki, AU Nilekar, F Uribe, E Mavrikakis, and RR Adzic. 2007. "Platinum Monolayer Electrocatalysts for Oxygen Reduction." Electrochimica Acta 52(6):2257-2263.
Xu L, GA Henkelman, CT Campbell, and H Jonsson. 2006. "Pd Diffusion on MgO(100): The Role of Defects and Small Cluster Mobilit." Surface Science 600:1351-1362.
Yakovkin IN, and MS Gutowski. 2007. "Driving Force for the WO3(001) Surface Relaxation." Surface Science 601(6):1481-1488.
Yang Y, CA Mims, RS Disselkamp, D Mei, JH Kwak, J Szanyi, CHF Peden, and CT Campbell. 2008. "Isotope effects in methanol synthesis and the reactivity of copper formates on a Cu/SiO2 catalyst." Catalysis Letters 125(3-4):201-208. doi:10.1007/s10562-008-9592-4
Zhai HJ, S Li, DA Dixon, and LS Wang. 2008. "Probing the Electronic and Structural Properties of Chromium Oxide Clusters (CrO3)n- and (CrO3)n (n=1-5): Photoelectron Spectroscopy and Density Functional Calculations." Journal of the American Chemical Society 130(15):5167-5177.
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Zhou WP, X Yang, MB Vukmirovic, BE Koel, J Jiao, G Peng, M Mavrikakis, and RR Adzic. 2009. "Improving Electrocatalysts for O2 Reduction by Fine-Tuning the Pt-Support Interaction: Pt Monolayer on the Surfaces of a Pd3Fe(111) Single-Crystal Alloy." Journal of the American Chemical Society 131(35):12755-12762. doi:10.1021/ja9039746