Sally A. Wasileski

A first-principles study of molecular oxygen dissociation at an electrode surface: a comparison of potential variation and coadsorption effects

Influences of coadsorbed sodium and water, aqueous solvent, and electrode potential on the kinetics of O(2) dissociation over Pt(111) are systematically investigated using density functional theory models of vacuum and electrochemical interfaces. Na coadsorption alters the electronic states of Pt to stabilize the reactant (O(2)*), transition, and product (2O*) states by facilitating electron donation to oxygen, causing a more exothermic reaction energy (-0.84 eV for Na and O(2), -0.81 eV for isolated O(2)) and a decrease in dissociation barrier (0.39 eV for Na and O(2), 0.57 eV for isolated O(2)). Solvation decreases the reaction energy (-0.67 eV) due to enhanced hydrogen bond stabilization of O(2)* compared to 2O*. The influence of Na is less pronounced at the solvated interface (barrier decreases by only 0.11 eV) because H(2)O screens Na charge-donation. In the electrochemical model system, the dissociation energy becomes more exothermic and the barrier decreases toward more positive potentials. Potential-dependent behavior results from changes in interfacial dipole moment and polarizability between O(2)*, the dissociation transition state, and 2O*; each are influenced by changes in adsorption and hydrogen bonding. Coadsorption of Na in the solvated system dampens the dipole moment change between O(2)* and 2O* and significantly increases the polarizability at the dissociation transition state and for 2O*; the combination causes little change in the reaction energy but reduces the activation barrier by 0.08 eV at 0 V versus NHE. The potential-dependent behavior contrasts that determined at a constant surface charge or from an applied electric field, illustrating the importance of considering the electrochemical potential at the fully-solvated interface in determining reaction energetics, even for non-redox reactions.

Electronic structure models of oxygen adsorption at the solvated, electrified Pt(111) interface

The adsorption of molecular oxygen is the first step in the oxygen reduction reaction. Influences of interfacial water structure and electrode potential on oxygen adsorption to the Pt(111) surface were evaluated using density functional theory. Two approaches were used to model the electrification of the interface, an applied homogeneous electric field and the double-reference method of Filhol, Taylor, and Neurock. The free energy change for molecular oxygen replacement of water at the surface shows qualitatively different trends between the two models. The inclusion of solvation effects and direct control of the electrode potential offered by the double-reference method lead to the conclusion that O(2) replacement of water is favorable at all potentials studied, and O(2) binding becomes more favorable with increasing potential. This trend is contrary to that observed using an external electric field model to represent the electrochemical double layer, and arises due to the compounded effect of potential on water-surface, oxygen-surface, and water-molecular oxygen interactions. These results indicate that oxygen replacement of adsorbed water does not limit the overall oxygen reduction reaction rate at a proton-exchange membrane fuel cell cathode. The impacts of aspects of model construction (number of water layers, water density) and variation of electrode potential on the O(2)-Pt(111) interaction are described.

Modeling Electrocatalytic Reaction Systems from First Principles

Electrocatalytic reaction systems demonstrate markedly different behavior than those carried out in the vapor phase or under ultrahigh vacuum conditions. The differences in reactivity can be attributed to the significant difference between the reaction environment o fht electrocatalytic system which includes the presence of solution, electrolyte, and intrinsic as well as extrinsic potentials, in addition to the vapor phase system. The solution environment and the applied potential can stabilize or destabilize charge transfer events, thus influencing many of the physiochemical processes that occur at the surface of a working electrode and strongly impacting the activity, as well as the selectivity of the active catalyst.