Light Hydrocarbons on Noble Metals

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Reactivity of light hydrocarbons over noble-metal catalysts.

Podkolzin, S. G.

Ph.D. Thesis: University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53706, USA (2002)

Dissertation Abstracts International, B 63(4), 1958 (2002).

Abstract

    Adsorption and reactions of light hydrocarbons (C2, C4) and hydrogen were studied on surfaces of metal catalysts (Pt, Pt/Sn, Pt/Au, Pd and Ni).  Catalysts were characterized with volumetric titration, calorimetry, temperature-programmed desorption and infrared spectroscopy.  Kinetic data for acetylene and ethylene hydrogenation were collection under steady-state and transient conditions over Pt and Pd catalysts.

    Experimental data on modes of adsorption, energetics and reactivity of surface species were consolidated with molecular simulations.  The molecular simulations for co-adsorption of C2 species and H2 and ethane hydrogenolysis on Pt were custom written in C++ using Monte Carlo algorithms based on a lattice gas model, where energetics were dependent on types of sites and proximity of neighboring surface species.  Parameters for the molecular simulations were estimated with density-functional theory (DFT) calculations using Dacapo plane wave code.  DFT results were also used to elucidate details of molecular reactions in acetylene hydrogenation over Pt and Pd catalysts and to propose an explanation for observed experimental kinetic differences between these two metals.

Address:

Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53706, USA.

Publisher:

Dissertation Abstracts International,  Order No. DA3049354. (2002), 345 pages, CAN 138:127644, AN 2003:38654

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View Presentation: 22 slides

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Compromise between model accuracy and complexity:

bulletComplexity of the reaction mechanism should be justifiable.
bulletMechanism should not attempt to capture every reaction detail, but only those that are essential for modeling experimental data.

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Combination of Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations with Monte Carlo simulations was used for modeling reaction kinetics for C2 hydrocarbons on Pt and Pd surfaces.

Surface site approximations used in Monte Carlo simulations:

    - competitive adsorption between C2Hx and H;

    - all C2Hx hydrocarbons occupy roughly the same amount of surface space, regardless of the number of surface bonds;

    - pair-wise repulsive interactions were defined and estimated with DFT:

 

Top view of multiple C2 surface species and atomic hydrogen on Pt(111)   DFT estimates of pair-wise repulsive interaction between C2 hydrocarbon surface species and atomic hydrogen on Pt(111)

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Main stable stable species formed on adsorption of C2 hydrocarbons on metal surfaces

 mouse over the picture changes the view side top.

ethylidyne (C-CH3)

di-s-bonded

ethylene

p-bonded

ethylene

Most abundant, least reactive More reactive than ethylidyne, but less reactive than p-bonded species in hydrogenation Most reactive species in hydrogenation.  Coverage less than 5%

Stable C2 surface species were characterized with infrared spectroscopy and calorimetric measurements (click on a graph to enlarge)

FTIR spectra of surface species formed on ethylene adsorption on supported Pt catalysts (click on the graph to enlarge).

When ethylene is introduced at 173 K, only molecularly adsorbed  (di-s-bonded and p-bonded) species are formed.  When the surface is heated to 298 K or when ethylene is introduced at this higher temperature, ethylidyne becomes the main surface species.  Ethylidyne is formed by ethylene dehydrogenation on the surface: CH2-CH2 (ads) C-CH3 (ads) + H (ads). (View animation of ethylene transformation to ethylidyne).

Differential heats of ethylene adsorption on supported Pt catalysts as a function of surface coverage.

On ethylene adsorption at 173 K, di-s-bonded and p-bonded species are formed with an average heat of about 120 kJ/mol.  The heat of adsorption declines quickly with coverage because of non-equilibration with the support: ethylene adsorbs both on the metal and on the support even at low coverage.  At a higher temperature of 203 K, a better equilibration is observed, and platinum sites are mostly titrated first (saturation coverage of about 45 mmol/g) prior to ethylene adsorption on the support.  At a still higher temperature of 298 K, ethylene dehydrogenates on the surface with the formation of mostly ethylidyne species, which is a more exothermic reaction than the formation of molecularly adsorbed di-s-bonded and p-bonded species.  At a higher coverage at 298 K, ethylene disproportionates: ethylene reacts with surface hydrogen produced on ethylidyne formation with the evolution of gas-phase ethane.

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Reactive intermediates in ethane hydrogenolysis and corresponding transition states

mouse over changes the stable species to transition states C2HX C2HX with side and top views

Ethyl (CH2-CH3)

Ethylidene (CH-CH3)

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Animation of DFT calculations and Monte Carlo simulations

Surface sites on (111) surface plane: atop, bridge and three-fold. Hexagonal lattice model slab. A small unit cell (2x2, 2x3 or 3x3) with periodic boundary conditions was used in DFT calculations, and a larger (42x42) periodic unit cell was used in Monte Carlo simulations with a lattice gas model.

More information on modeling CO adsorption.

More information on modeling ethylidyne (C-CH3) and hydrogen co-adsorption.

 

Monte Carlo trial moves in modeling co-adsorption of ethane and hydrogen with the formation of ethylidyne (C-CH3) and atomic hydrogen surface species: 1) ethane dehydrogenation into ethylidyne and hydrogen, 2) adsorption of the formed species, 3) hydrogen dissociation, 4) adsorption of atomic hydrogen, 5) surface diffusion of ethylidyne and hydrogen species, 6) desorption.

More information on modeling ethylidyne (C-CH3) and hydrogen co-adsorption.

 

Monte Carlo trial moves for insertion, removal and diffusion of ethylidyne (C-CH3) and hydrogen surface species.

More information on modeling ethylidyne (C-CH3) and hydrogen co-adsorption.

 

Monte Carlo trial moves for kinetic modeling of ethane hydrogenolysis.  The pseudo steady-state background is determined by co-adsorption of ethylidyne (C-CH3), hydrogen and di-s-bonded ethylene surface species.  The reaction rate is calculated using virtual insertion trial moves for identified 3 transition state species: C2H5, CH-CH3 and CH-CH2.

More information on modeling ethane hydrogenolysis.

 

Acetylene adsorption with the formation of p-bonded species.

More information on the modes of acetylene adsorption on Pt(111).

 

Multiple surface species formed by acetylene on the surfaces of platinum and palladium.

More information on the modes of acetylene adsorption on Pt(111).

 

Transformation of a p-bonded acetylene (CH-CH on an atop site) to a more stable vinylidene species (C-CH2 on an fcc three-fold site).

More information on the modes of acetylene adsorption on Pt(111).

 

Transformation of di-s-bonded ethylene (on a bridge site) to a more stable ethylidyne species and surface hydrogen.

More information on ethylene adsorption on supported Pt.

More information on ethylene adsorption on supported Pt-Au.

More information on acetylene hydrogenation with ethylene formation on Pt(111).

 

Hydrogen shuttling between hydrocarbon species on platinum and palladium surfaces at high coverage.  Initial geometry: C-CH2 and CH2-CH2, final geometry: C-CH3 and CH-CH2.

More information on hydrogen disproportionation between C2 species on Pt(111).

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