Exploring hydrogen adsorption on nanocluster systems: Insights from DFT calculations of Au9M2+ (M= Sc-Ni)

We are happy to announce that Dr. Ngo Son Tung and colleagues recently published their work entitled " Exploring hydrogen adsorption on nanocluster systems: Insights from DFT calculations of Au9M2+ (M= Sc-Ni) " in the Chemical Physics Letters

Abstract:

The superatomic cluster Au102+ is the smallest known replica of the golden pyramid Au₂₀, and its complex analogues, Au9𝑀2+ (𝑀 = Sc-Ni), have exhibited stable and intriguing electronic properties. In this study, we employ density-functional theory (DFT) to investigate the interaction between hydrogen molecules and Au9𝑀2+ clusters. Our DFT calculations reveal that the structures of these clusters are influenced by the dissociative adsorption of H2, but not by the molecular adsorption. By conducting a comprehensive analysis, we show that the preferred adsorption configuration is a result of the competition between various factors, including the surface/encapsulated position, relative electronegativity, and coordination number of atoms. Although Au9𝑀2+-2H (𝑀 = Sc, Ti, Mn, and Fe) are remarkably more stable than their corresponding Au9𝑀2+-H2 configurations, different activation energies ranging from 0.15 to 0.99 eV are required during the dissociative reaction pathway. The finding results shed light on the mechanisms underlying the preferred adsorption site of hydrogen on the studied species and provide insights into adsorption kinetics that can aid further theoretical and experimental studies of hydrogenation in nanostructured materials.