DFT Insights into Hydrogen Spillover Mechanisms: Effects of Metal Species, Size, and Support
Cheng-Hsi Yeh, Ho Viet Thang, Yves Ira A. Reyes, Carmine Coluccini, Hsin‐Yi Tiffany Chen
Abstract
High Resolution Image Download MS PowerPoint Slide Hydrogen spillover is a crucial mechanism in heterogeneous catalysis. Herein, density functional theory calculations were conducted to study the metal–support interactions (MSI) and the hydrogen spillover mechanisms in terms of metal size, metal species, and support effects using single-atom (M 1 ) and four-atom cluster (M 4 ) models of Ru, Ni, and Pt, supported on anatase TiO 2 (101), rutile TiO 2 (110), MgO(100), MgO(110), and graphene. For M 1 systems, the binding energies ( E b ) vary widely across different M 1 species and substrate surfaces. In contrast to M 1 systems whose MSI are affected by metal type, those supported M 4 models are determined primarily by the support: r-TiO 2 (110) > a-TiO 2 (101) > MgO(110) > MgO(100) > graphene. Thermodynamically favorable hydrogen spillover on oxide-supported M 1 models required hydrogen coverages (θ) of ∼6 ML, whereas counterpart M 4 systems require ∼3 ML. Therefore, oxide-supported cluster catalysts can facilitate favorable hydrogen spillover better than single-atom catalysts; hydrogen spillover to TiO 2 is more favorable than to MgO. In contrast, no favorable hydrogen spillover was observed on graphene-supported M 1 and M 4 models. Despite considering the same route, different hydrogen spillover mechanisms are observed depending on the support: (i) on reducible TiO 2, hydrogen spills over as a proton with the electron transferred to the support; (ii) on nonreducible MgO, hydrogen spills over as a proton but the electron remains localized to the bound metal; (iii) on graphene, hydrogen spills over as a neutral hydrogen atom. Notably, supported M 4 models with stronger MSI are predicted to exhibit a more facile hydrogen spillover from both thermodynamic and kinetic perspectives, particularly when considering the same metal species across different supports. These detailed insights are expected to advance the understanding of hydrogen spillover on catalysts, which will be valuable for their future design and development.