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Title: Copper cluster size effect in methanol synthesis from CO2

Abstract

Here, size-selected Cun catalysts (n = 3, 4, 20) were synthesized on Al2O3 thin films using mass-selected cluster deposition. A systematic study of size and support effects was carried out for CO2 hydrogenation at atmospheric pressure using a combination of in situ grazing incidence X-ray absorption spectroscopy, catalytic activity measurement, and first-principles calculations. The catalytic activity for methanol synthesis is found to strongly vary as a function of the cluster size; the Cu4/Al2O3 catalyst shows the highest turnover rate for CH3OH production. With only one atom less than Cu4, Cu3 showed less than 50% activity. Density functional theory calculations predict that the activities of the gas-phase Cu clusters increase as the cluster size decreases; however, the stronger charge transfer interaction with Al2O3 support for Cu3 than for Cu4 leads to remarkably reduced binding strength between the adsorbed intermediates and supported Cu3, which subsequently results in a less favorable energetic pathway to transform carbon dioxide to methanol.

Authors:
 [1];  [1];  [1];  [1]; ORCiD logo [1];  [1]; ORCiD logo [1]; ORCiD logo [1]; ORCiD logo [1]
  1. Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Lemont, IL (United States)
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES)
OSTI Identifier:
1372481
Grant/Contract Number:  
AC02-06CH11357
Resource Type:
Accepted Manuscript
Journal Name:
Journal of Physical Chemistry. C
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 121; Journal Issue: 19; Journal ID: ISSN 1932-7447
Publisher:
American Chemical Society
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY

Citation Formats

Yang, Bing, Liu, Cong, Halder, Avik, Tyo, Eric C., Martinson, Alex B. F., Seifert, Sonke, Zapol, Peter, Curtiss, Larry A., and Vajda, Stefan. Copper cluster size effect in methanol synthesis from CO2. United States: N. p., 2017. Web. doi:10.1021/acs.jpcc.7b01835.
Yang, Bing, Liu, Cong, Halder, Avik, Tyo, Eric C., Martinson, Alex B. F., Seifert, Sonke, Zapol, Peter, Curtiss, Larry A., & Vajda, Stefan. Copper cluster size effect in methanol synthesis from CO2. United States. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jpcc.7b01835
Yang, Bing, Liu, Cong, Halder, Avik, Tyo, Eric C., Martinson, Alex B. F., Seifert, Sonke, Zapol, Peter, Curtiss, Larry A., and Vajda, Stefan. Mon . "Copper cluster size effect in methanol synthesis from CO2". United States. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jpcc.7b01835. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1372481.
@article{osti_1372481,
title = {Copper cluster size effect in methanol synthesis from CO2},
author = {Yang, Bing and Liu, Cong and Halder, Avik and Tyo, Eric C. and Martinson, Alex B. F. and Seifert, Sonke and Zapol, Peter and Curtiss, Larry A. and Vajda, Stefan},
abstractNote = {Here, size-selected Cun catalysts (n = 3, 4, 20) were synthesized on Al2O3 thin films using mass-selected cluster deposition. A systematic study of size and support effects was carried out for CO2 hydrogenation at atmospheric pressure using a combination of in situ grazing incidence X-ray absorption spectroscopy, catalytic activity measurement, and first-principles calculations. The catalytic activity for methanol synthesis is found to strongly vary as a function of the cluster size; the Cu4/Al2O3 catalyst shows the highest turnover rate for CH3OH production. With only one atom less than Cu4, Cu3 showed less than 50% activity. Density functional theory calculations predict that the activities of the gas-phase Cu clusters increase as the cluster size decreases; however, the stronger charge transfer interaction with Al2O3 support for Cu3 than for Cu4 leads to remarkably reduced binding strength between the adsorbed intermediates and supported Cu3, which subsequently results in a less favorable energetic pathway to transform carbon dioxide to methanol.},
doi = {10.1021/acs.jpcc.7b01835},
journal = {Journal of Physical Chemistry. C},
number = 19,
volume = 121,
place = {United States},
year = {Mon May 08 00:00:00 EDT 2017},
month = {Mon May 08 00:00:00 EDT 2017}
}

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