Vassiliki Alexandra Glezakou
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
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Publication
Featured researches published by Vassiliki Alexandra Glezakou.
Journal of the American Chemical Society | 2013
Yanggang Wang; Yeohoon Yoon; Vassiliki Alexandra Glezakou; Jun Li; Roger Rousseau
To probe metal particle/reducible oxide interactions density functional theory based ab initio molecular dynamics studies were performed on a prototypical metal cluster (Au20) supported on reducible oxides (rutile TiO2(110)) to implicitly account for finite temperature effects and the role of excess surface charge in the metal oxide. It is found that the charge state of the Au particle is negative in a reducing chemical environment whereas in the presence of oxidizing species coadsorbed to the oxide surface the cluster obtained a net positive charge. In the context of the well-known CO oxidation reaction, charge transfer facilitates the plasticization of Au20, which allows for a strong adsorbate induced surface reconstruction upon addition of CO leading to the formation of mobile Au-CO species on the surface. The charging/discharging of the cluster during the catalytic cycle of CO oxidation enhances and controls the amount of O2 adsorbed at oxide/cluster interface and strongly influences the energetics of all redox steps in catalytic conversions. A detailed comparison of the current findings with previous studies is presented, and generalities about the role of surface-adsorbate charge transfer for metal cluster/reducible oxide interactions are discussed.
Nature Communications | 2015
Yanggang Wang; Donghai Mei; Vassiliki Alexandra Glezakou; Jun Li; Roger Rousseau
Catalysis by gold supported on reducible oxides has been extensively studied, yet issues such as the nature of the catalytic site and the role of the reducible support remain fiercely debated topics. Here we present ab initio molecular dynamics simulations of an unprecedented dynamic single-atom catalytic mechanism for the oxidation of carbon monoxide by ceria-supported gold clusters. The reported dynamic single-atom catalytic mechanism results from the ability of the gold cation to strongly couple with the redox properties of the ceria in a synergistic manner, thereby lowering the energy of redox reactions. The gold cation can break away from the gold nanoparticle to catalyse carbon monoxide oxidation, adjacent to the metal/oxide interface and subsequently reintegrate back into the nanoparticle after the reaction is completed. Our study highlights the importance of the dynamic creation of active sites under reaction conditions and their essential role in catalysis.
Journal of the American Chemical Society | 2016
Yang Gang Wang; David C. Cantu; Mal Soon Lee; Jun Li; Vassiliki Alexandra Glezakou; Roger Rousseau
We present results of ab initio electronic structure and molecular dynamics simulations (AIMD), as well as a microkinetic model of CO oxidation catalyzed by TiO2 supported Au nanocatalysts. A coverage-dependent microkinetic analysis, based on energetics obtained with density functional methods, shows that the dominant kinetic pathway, activated oxygen species, and catalytic active sites are all strongly depended on both temperature and oxygen partial pressure. Under oxidizing conditions and T < 400 K, the prevalent pathway involves a dynamic single atom catalytic mechanism. This reaction is catalyzed by a transient Au-CO species that migrates from the Au-cluster onto a surface oxygen adatom. It subsequently reacts with the TiO2 support via a Mars van Krevelen mechanism to form CO2 and finally the Au atom reintegrates back into the gold cluster to complete the catalytic cycle. At 300 ≤ T ≤ 600 K, oxygen-bound single Oad-Au(+)-CO sites and the perimeter Au-sites of the nanoparticle work in tandem to optimally catalyze the reaction. Above 600 K, a variety of alternate pathways associated with both single-atom and the perimeter sites of the Au nanoparticle are found to be active. Under low oxygen pressures, Oad-Au(+)-CO species can be a source of catalyst deactivation and the dominant pathway involves only Au-perimeter sites. A detailed comparison of the current model and the existing literature resolves many apparent inconsistencies in the mechanistic interpretations.
Environmental Science & Technology | 2014
Mal Soon Lee; B. Peter McGrail; Vassiliki Alexandra Glezakou
First-principles molecular dynamics simulations were carried out to explore the mechanistic and thermodynamic ramifications of the exposure of variably hydrated Ca-rich montmorillonites to supercritical CO2 and CO2-SO2 mixtures under geologic storage conditions. In sub- to single-hydrated systems (≤ 1W), CO2 intercalation causes interlamellar expansion of 8-12%, while systems transitioning to 2W may undergo contraction (∼ 7%) or remain almost unchanged. When compared to ∼2W hydration state, structural analysis of the ≤ 1W systems, reveals more Ca-CO2 contacts and partial transition to vertically confined CO2 molecules. Infrared spectra and projected vibrational frequency analysis imply that intercalated Ca-bound CO2 are vibrationally constrained and contribute to the higher frequencies of the asymmetric stretch band. Reduced diffusion coefficients of intercalated H2O and CO2 (10(-6)-10(-7) cm(2)/s) indicate that Ca-montmorillonites in ∼ 1W hydration states can be more efficient in capturing CO2. Simulations including SO2 imply that ∼ 0.66 mmol SO2/g clay can be intercalated without other significant structural changes. SO2 is likely to divert H2O away from the cations, promoting Ca-CO2 interactions and CO2 capture by further reducing CO2 diffusion (10(-8) cm(2)/s). Vibrational bands at ∼ 1267 or 1155 cm(-1) may be used to identify the chemical state (oxidation states +4 or +6, respectively) and the fate of sulfur contaminants.
Chemical Reviews | 2017
David J. Heldebrant; Phillip K. Koech; Vassiliki Alexandra Glezakou; Roger Rousseau; Deepika Malhotra; David C. Cantu
This review is designed to foster the discussion regarding the viability of postcombustion CO2 capture by water-lean solvents, by separating fact from fiction for both skeptics and advocates. We highlight the unique physical and thermodynamic properties of notable water-lean solvents, with a discussion of how such properties could translate to efficiency gains compared to aqueous amines. The scope of this review ranges from the purely fundamental molecular-level processes that govern solvent behavior to bench-scale testing, through process engineering and projections of process performance and cost. Key discussions of higher than expected CO2 mass transfer, water tolerance, and compatibility with current infrastructure are presented along with current limitations and suggested areas where further solvent development is needed. We conclude with an outlook of the status of the field and assess the viability of water-lean solvents for postcombustion CO2 capture.
Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters | 2014
Rentao Mu; David C. Cantu; Xiao Lin; Vassiliki Alexandra Glezakou; Zhi-Tao Wang; Igor Lyubinetsky; Roger Rousseau; Zdenek Dohnalek
RuO2 has proven to be indispensable as a co-catalyst in numerous systems designed for photocatalytic water splitting. In this study, we have carried out a detailed mechanistic study of water behavior on the most stable RuO2 face, RuO2(110), by employing variable-temperature scanning tunneling microscopy and density functional theory calculations. We show that water monomers adsorb molecularly on Ru sites, become mobile above 238 K, diffuse along the Ru rows, and form water dimers. The onset for dimer diffusion is observed at ∼277 K, indicating a significantly higher diffusion barrier than that for monomers. More importantly, we find that water dimers deprotonate readily to form Ru-bound H3O2 and bridging OH species. The observed behavior is compared and contrasted with that observed for water on isostructural rutile TiO2(110).
Nature Communications | 2016
Mal Soon Lee; Wooyong Um; Guohui Wang; Albert A. Kruger; Wayne W. Lukens; Roger Rousseau; Vassiliki Alexandra Glezakou
Technetium (99Tc) is an abundant, long-lived radioactive fission product whose mobility in the subsurface is largely governed by its oxidation state. Tc immobilization is crucial for radioactive waste management and environmental remediation. Tc(IV) incorporation in spinels has been proposed as a novel method to increase Tc retention in glass waste forms during vitrification. However, experiments under high-temperature and oxic conditions show reoxidation of Tc(IV) to volatile pertechnetate, Tc(VII). Here we examine this problem with ab initio molecular dynamics simulations and propose that, at elevated temperatures, doping with first row transition metal can significantly enhance Tc retention in magnetite in the order Co>Zn>Ni. Experiments with doped spinels at 700 °C provide quantitative confirmation of the theoretical predictions in the same order. This work highlights the power of modern, state-of-the-art simulations to provide essential insights and generate theory-inspired design criteria of complex materials at elevated temperatures.
Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters | 2016
David C. Cantu; Juntaek Lee; Mal Soon Lee; David J. Heldebrant; Phillip K. Koech; Charles J. Freeman; Roger Rousseau; Vassiliki Alexandra Glezakou
The deployment of transformational nonaqueous CO2-capture solvent systems is encumbered by high viscosities even at intermediate uptakes. Using single-molecule CO2 binding organic liquids as a prototypical example, we present key molecular features that control bulk viscosity. Fast CO2-uptake kinetics arise from close proximity of the alcohol and amine sites involved in CO2 binding in a concerted fashion, resulting in a Zwitterion containing both an alkyl-carbonate and a protonated amine. The population of internal hydrogen bonds between the two functional groups determines the solution viscosity. Unlike the ion pair interactions in ionic liquids, these observations are novel and specific to a hydrogen-bonding network that can be controlled by chemically tuning single molecule CO2 capture solvents. We present a molecular design strategy to reduce viscosity by shifting the proton transfer equilibrium toward a neutral acid/amine species, as opposed to the ubiquitously accepted zwitterionic state. The molecular design concepts proposed here are readily extensible to other CO2 capture technologies.
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America | 2017
Zhi Tao Wang; Yang Gang Wang; Rentao Mu; Yeohoon Yoon; Arjun Dahal; Gregory K. Schenter; Vassiliki Alexandra Glezakou; Roger Rousseau; Igor Lyubinetsky; Zdenek Dohnalek
Significance Understanding how water binds and dissociates on surfaces has broad implications in a vast range of physical and chemical processes. The relative stability of molecularly and dissociatively bound water has been debated for decades on many oxide surfaces, but it has never been successfully measured. Our study describes unique instrumentation, direct measurements, and a state-of-the-art computation and theory approach that yield a detailed kinetic and dynamic description of water deprotonation equilibrium on TiO2(110), a prototypical surface commonly used in mechanistic studies of photocatalytic water splitting. This unique study demonstrates that the molecularly bound water on TiO2(110) is preferred over the surface-bound hydroxyls by only 0.035 eV. Understanding adsorbed water and its dissociation to surface hydroxyls on oxide surfaces is key to unraveling many physical and chemical processes, yet the barrier for its deprotonation has never been measured. In this study, we present direct evidence for water dissociation equilibrium on rutile-TiO2(110) by combining supersonic molecular beam, scanning tunneling microscopy (STM), and ab initio molecular dynamics. We measure the deprotonation/protonation barriers of 0.36 eV and find that molecularly bound water is preferred over the surface-bound hydroxyls by only 0.035 eV. We demonstrate that long-range electrostatic fields emanating from the oxide lead to steering and reorientation of the molecules approaching the surface, activating the O–H bonds and inducing deprotonation. The developed methodology for studying metastable reaction intermediates prepared with a high-energy molecular beam in the STM can be readily extended to other systems to clarify a wide range of important bond activation processes.
Scientific Reports | 2015
Mal Soon Lee; B. Peter McGrail; Roger Rousseau; Vassiliki Alexandra Glezakou
The boundary layer at solid-liquid interfaces is a unique reaction environment that poses significant scientific challenges to characterize and understand by experimentation alone. Using ab initio molecular dynamics (AIMD) methods, we report on the structure and dynamics of boundary layer formation, cation mobilization and carbonation under geologic carbon sequestration scenarios (T = 323 K and P = 90 bar) on a prototypical anorthite (001) surface. At low coverage, water film formation is enthalpically favored, but entropically hindered. Simulated adsorption isotherms show that a water monolayer will form even at the low water concentrations of water-saturated scCO2. Carbonation reactions readily occur at electron-rich terminal Oxygen sites adjacent to cation vacancies that readily form in the presence of a water monolayer. These results point to a carbonation mechanism that does not require prior carbonic acid formation in the bulk liquid. This work also highlights the modern capabilities of theoretical methods to address structure and reactivity at interfaces of high chemical complexity.