{"title":"Adsorption of benzene on pristine, and doped Cu stepped surfaces: A DFT study","authors":"Salma Moussadeq , Meysoun Jabrane , Achraf Benbella , Abdelkader Kara , M‘hammed Mazroui","doi":"10.1016/j.susc.2025.122741","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.susc.2025.122741","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>It is widely recognized that the pristine surfaces of coinage metals like Cu exhibit weak interactions with benzene molecules, primarily through physisorption. Our investigation, using density functional theory (DFT) with van der Waals (vdWs) interactions through optB88b-vdW functional, aims to compare and analyze benzene adsorption on pristine and doped Cu stepped surfaces. We seek to understand the influence of pristine and doped steps on the adsorption characteristics. Our results reveal an increase in adsorption energy on all surfaces, particularly on Pt-doped Cu stepped surfaces, as compared to flat surfaces. This stronger interaction suggests the potential for chemical bond formation on the doped and the clean stepped Cu surfaces. Examination of adsorption height and electronic structure on Cu(211), Cu<sub>3</sub>Pt(111), and Cu<sub>3</sub>Pt(211) systems further supports this conclusion. The enhanced reactivity of these surfaces can be attributed to alloying with highly reactive metals like Pt and the reduction in surface coordination.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":22100,"journal":{"name":"Surface Science","volume":"757 ","pages":"Article 122741"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-03-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143704806","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Surface SciencePub Date : 2025-03-20DOI: 10.1016/j.susc.2025.122740
Mary Tabut , Pavel V. Stishenko , Monica Calatayud
{"title":"Modeling the self-assembly of L-cysteine molecules on the Au(111) surface: A lattice model approach","authors":"Mary Tabut , Pavel V. Stishenko , Monica Calatayud","doi":"10.1016/j.susc.2025.122740","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.susc.2025.122740","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The design of chiral materials with enhanced properties has rapidly gained interest. However, the complex modeling of self-assembled monolayers poses significant challenges to theoretical chemists, making it difficult to accurately predict or explain the structure and thermodynamic properties of adsorption layers in surface science. In the present work, we provide new insights into the self-assembly network of <span>l</span>-cysteine molecules on an Au(111) surface using a lattice model approach. The research focuses on the adsorption behavior of <span>l</span>-cysteine in its deprotonated acidic form [NH<sub>3</sub><sup>+</sup>CH(CH<sub>2</sub>S<sup>-</sup>)COOH)], which introduces unique intermolecular interactions due to the charged amino group. Using the Surface Science Modeling and Simulation Toolkit (SuSMoST), we systematically explored multiple adsorption sites and configurations, generating unexplored high-coverage systems that were further analyzed at the density functional level of theory. Our findings highlight the significance of surface arrangements, intra- and inter-molecular interactions in determining the overall stability of the <span>l</span>-cysteine self-assembled monolayers. Among the various configurations analyzed, a newly identified system revealed the highest stability with an adsorption energy of -1.44 eV, competing with previously reported structures.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":22100,"journal":{"name":"Surface Science","volume":"757 ","pages":"Article 122740"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-03-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143704807","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Surface SciencePub Date : 2025-03-17DOI: 10.1016/j.susc.2025.122739
Ashutosh Mishra , Allison M. Robinson , Craig L. Perkins , Eric M. Karp , J. Will Medlin
{"title":"Electronic and reactivity changes in epitaxially grown Ce1-xZrxO2-δ (111) thin films","authors":"Ashutosh Mishra , Allison M. Robinson , Craig L. Perkins , Eric M. Karp , J. Will Medlin","doi":"10.1016/j.susc.2025.122739","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.susc.2025.122739","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Ceria composite catalysts have long been used for ketonization reactions, which is a valuable chemistry for the upgrading of biomass-derived carboxylates. To better understand the interaction of zirconia with ceria in the context of ketonization, thin epitaxial films of ceria-zirconia mixed metal oxide Ce<sub>1-x</sub>Zr<sub>x</sub>O<sub>2-δ</sub> (<em>x</em> = 0–1) were grown on a Pt(111) substrate in ultrahigh vacuum conditions and studied with X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Core level and valence band XPS results suggest a strong interaction between ceria and zirconia cations, possibly due to increased filling of unoccupied 4f<sup>0</sup> orbitals of ceria from neighboring Zr cations in the lattice structure. This leads to a partial reduction of ceria from Ce<sup>4+</sup> to Ce<sup>3+</sup>, with Zr remaining predominantly in the 4+ oxidation state. Ketonization of acetic acid was studied using temperature programmed desorption (TPD) and high-resolution electron energy loss spectroscopy (HREELS). These results found ketonization over mixed Ce-Zr composite oxides exhibited lower activation energies than for pure CeO<sub>2</sub> and ZrO<sub>2</sub>, with Ce<sub>0.38</sub>Zr<sub>0.62</sub>O<sub>2-δ</sub> exhibiting the highest yield of acetone among the studied surfaces. These results suggest the high activity of Ce-Zr catalysts appears to be a result of oxygen vacancy formation, stabilized by electron donation from Zr cations.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":22100,"journal":{"name":"Surface Science","volume":"757 ","pages":"Article 122739"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-03-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143685725","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Surface SciencePub Date : 2025-03-17DOI: 10.1016/j.susc.2025.122738
Yang Chen, Bin Gu, Bing Wang
{"title":"ReaxFF MD simulation on the deterioration of Fe2O3 passivation film in the hydrochloric acid coupled with mechanical processing","authors":"Yang Chen, Bin Gu, Bing Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.susc.2025.122738","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.susc.2025.122738","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Mechanical processing implemented by nano-indentation/nano-scratch is applied to Fe<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub> passivation film, giving rise to microstructure change, surface defects and residual stress. Then passivation film corrosion in hydrochloric acid solution is investigated by ReaxFF molecular dynamics. Results show that the corrosion are promoted by mechanical treatments for the reduction of the atomic bond strength, the increasing number of uncoordinated atoms and the residual stress after mechanical processing. Moreover, residual stress release and deformation recovery are evidenced by the loss of high stress and strain atoms during the corrosion and can make contribution to the slowdown of corrosion rate.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":22100,"journal":{"name":"Surface Science","volume":"757 ","pages":"Article 122738"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-03-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143685726","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Surface SciencePub Date : 2025-03-06DOI: 10.1016/j.susc.2025.122735
Debtanu Maiti , Michael P. Harold , Lars C. Grabow
{"title":"Single atom alloys 2.0: Exploiting undercoordination for stronger dissociative CH4 chemisorption","authors":"Debtanu Maiti , Michael P. Harold , Lars C. Grabow","doi":"10.1016/j.susc.2025.122735","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.susc.2025.122735","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Efficient C<img>H bond activation is key to low temperature methane oxidation in catalytic converters of natural gas-powered vehicles. Through <em>ab initio</em> calculations, we investigate the potential enhancement of dissociative CH₄ chemisorption on single atom doped (211) facets of Pt and Pd, the preferred platinum group metals (PGMs) for methane oxidation. Single atom doping at undercoordinated edge sites induces surface relaxation, leading to stronger methane dissociation energies due to dopant-induced expansive lattice strain. Conversely, geometrically restricted subsurface doping imposes compressive strain, resulting in weaker chemisorption energies. Our findings indicate that the <em>d</em>-band model fails to capture these strain-dominated activity trends at single-atom sites. Although subsurface sites are thermodynamically stable for single atom doping under inert conditions, dopant segregation to exposed edge sites becomes more favorable when dissociated methane is chemisorbed on the surface. This study adds a new dimension to the design of single-atom alloy catalysts and encourages experimental efforts to synthesize edge-doped dilute single-atom PGM alloys for enhanced CH₄ activation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":22100,"journal":{"name":"Surface Science","volume":"757 ","pages":"Article 122735"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-03-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143642152","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Surface SciencePub Date : 2025-03-04DOI: 10.1016/j.susc.2025.122725
N.L. Matsko, D.A. Shohonov, V.A. Osipov
{"title":"Raman scattering in a MoS2 monolayer on quartz from DFT calculations: Effect of the substrate","authors":"N.L. Matsko, D.A. Shohonov, V.A. Osipov","doi":"10.1016/j.susc.2025.122725","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.susc.2025.122725","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The effect of a quartz substrate on Raman scattering in a molybdenum disulfide monolayer is analyzed within the DFT framework. The Raman spectra were studied for several types of the MoS<span><math><msub><mrow></mrow><mrow><mn>2</mn></mrow></msub></math></span>/SiO<sub>2</sub> interface, corresponding to the case of a “dense” SiO<sub>2</sub> surface, a surface with defects, roughness and an interface with S<img>O chemical bonds. Calculations show that for the vdW type of MoS<span><math><msub><mrow></mrow><mrow><mn>2</mn></mrow></msub></math></span>/SiO<sub>2</sub> interaction, the substrate weakly affects Raman scattering in MoS<span><math><msub><mrow></mrow><mrow><mn>2</mn></mrow></msub></math></span>, except some extreme configurations of the SiO<sub>2</sub> surface. In contrast, for interface with S<img>O chemical bonds the influence of the substrate becomes much stronger, leading to a noticeable splitting and shift of the <span><math><msubsup><mrow><mi>E</mi></mrow><mrow><mn>2</mn><mi>g</mi></mrow><mrow><mn>1</mn></mrow></msubsup></math></span> and <span><math><msub><mrow><mi>A</mi></mrow><mrow><mn>1</mn><mi>g</mi></mrow></msub></math></span> Raman peaks in the MoS<span><math><msub><mrow></mrow><mrow><mn>2</mn></mrow></msub></math></span> monolayer.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":22100,"journal":{"name":"Surface Science","volume":"757 ","pages":"Article 122725"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-03-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143562687","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Surface SciencePub Date : 2025-02-27DOI: 10.1016/j.susc.2025.122727
Simon Albrechts, Léon Luntadila Lufungula, Christian Van Alsenoy, Frank Blockhuys
{"title":"Adsorption of organic molecules on titania: The advantages of using bond orders to gauge interaction strength","authors":"Simon Albrechts, Léon Luntadila Lufungula, Christian Van Alsenoy, Frank Blockhuys","doi":"10.1016/j.susc.2025.122727","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.susc.2025.122727","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The adsorption of six derivatives of methane with different functional groups on the anatase (101) facet of titania (TiO<sub>2</sub>) is studied using quantum chemical calculations at the DFT/PBC level of theory. The strength of the resulting interactions is evaluated using (1) the adsorption energy, (2) an analysis of the electron density using the Quantum Theory of Atoms In Molecules (QTAIM), and (3) Hirshfeld bond orders. It is shown that the latter provide a straightforward way to gain internally consistent information on the relative strengths of the various interactions, which is much more detailed than the adsorption energies on the one hand and far less dependent on the bond type than the results of a QTAIM analysis on the other. The results show that amines, thiols, silanols and carboxylic acids adsorb rather poorly, while phosphonic and sulfonic acids bind strongly to the titania surface, in agreement with experimental observations.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":22100,"journal":{"name":"Surface Science","volume":"756 ","pages":"Article 122727"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-02-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143534221","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Engineering the surface of WS2 nanosheets by Con clusters to improve the adsorption of C4F7N decomposition gas molecules: A DFT study","authors":"Rafid Jihad Albadr , Waam mohammed taher , Roopashree R , Aditya Kashyap , Suman Saini , Piyus Kumar Pathak , RSK Sharma , Mariem Alwan , Mahmood Jasem Jawad , Aseel Smerat","doi":"10.1016/j.susc.2025.122722","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.susc.2025.122722","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This work examines the structural stability of the novel Co<sub>n</sub> nanocluster functionalized WS<sub>2</sub> nanosheets for their subsequent application in trapping C<sub>4</sub>F<sub>7</sub>N decomposition gas molecules. Thermodynamic date confirmed the geometrical stability of the Co<sub>n</sub> cluster functionalized WS<sub>2</sub> nanosheets. The strong interaction between the Co clusters and surface S atoms of WS<sub>2</sub> nanosheet was addressed using the electron density difference and density of states analyses. The suggested C<sub>4</sub>F<sub>7</sub>N decomposition gases including C<sub>2</sub>N<sub>2</sub>, C<sub>3</sub>F<sub>7</sub>, CF<sub>3</sub>CN and COF<sub>2</sub> exhibited strong chemical reaction on the substrate, except for CF<sub>4</sub> molecule, for which the weak physical adsorption occurred on the surface of Co functionalized WS<sub>2</sub>. The results exhibited that most of the C<sub>4</sub>F<sub>7</sub>N decomposition gases adsorption changed the electronic properties of Co functionalized WS<sub>2</sub> notably, especially in the case of gases establishing strong covalent bonds to the Co atom. Consequently, Co<sub>n</sub> nanocluster functionalized WS<sub>2</sub> represented semiconductor and may be outstanding candidates for sensing C<sub>4</sub>F<sub>7</sub>N decomposition molecules.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":22100,"journal":{"name":"Surface Science","volume":"757 ","pages":"Article 122722"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-02-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143548529","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Surface SciencePub Date : 2025-02-23DOI: 10.1016/j.susc.2025.122726
Zilian Tian, Lu Yang, Jianlin He, Huaidong Liu, Xiaotong Yang, Hang Yang, Yao Dong, Wei Zhao
{"title":"The effect of biaxial strain on the optoelectronic properties of a single-layer 2H-GaS system with S vacancies","authors":"Zilian Tian, Lu Yang, Jianlin He, Huaidong Liu, Xiaotong Yang, Hang Yang, Yao Dong, Wei Zhao","doi":"10.1016/j.susc.2025.122726","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.susc.2025.122726","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In this paper, density functional theory (DFT) is used to systematically study the S-vacancy defect system in a single layer of 2H-GaS and the effects of biaxial tensile and compressive strains on the geometric structure, electronic structure, and optical properties of this defect system are discussed. The study's results show that different defect atoms can influence the formation of defect systems, among which S-vacancy defects show high stability.Under biaxial tensile strain, the band gap of GaS shows a significant reduction under compressive strain,it tends to decrease and then increase. Optical property analysis shows that tensile strain causes a blue shift in the defective system's ultraviolet (UV) reflectivity and absorption coefficient, while compressive strain significantly increases these coefficients. The above results provide a theoretical basis for applying GaS-based materials in sensors, flexible electronics, and optoelectronic devices.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":22100,"journal":{"name":"Surface Science","volume":"756 ","pages":"Article 122726"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-02-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143534222","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Surface SciencePub Date : 2025-02-22DOI: 10.1016/j.susc.2025.122724
Marija Stojkovska , Jose Eduardo Barcelon , Daniele Perilli , Gianangelo Bracco , Giovanni Carraro , Marco Smerieri , Mario Rocca , Luca Vattuone , Luca Vaghi , Antonio Papagni , Cristiana Di Valentin , Letizia Savio
{"title":"Selection of cross-coupling reaction products from Pd-cyclometalled complexes deposited on Ag(110) by tuning preparation conditions.","authors":"Marija Stojkovska , Jose Eduardo Barcelon , Daniele Perilli , Gianangelo Bracco , Giovanni Carraro , Marco Smerieri , Mario Rocca , Luca Vattuone , Luca Vaghi , Antonio Papagni , Cristiana Di Valentin , Letizia Savio","doi":"10.1016/j.susc.2025.122724","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.susc.2025.122724","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Pd-cyclometallated compounds may be relevant for catalytic purposes, but very little is known about their interactions with metal substrates.</div><div>Here we report a combined low-temperature scanning tunnelling microscopy and density functional theory investigation on the interaction of the cyclometallated compound C<sub>22</sub>H<sub>14</sub>Br<sub>2</sub>N<sub>2</sub>Pd<sub>2</sub>Cl<sub>2</sub> on Ag(110). Upon deposition at low temperature the molecules adsorb in a disordered manner on the surface but, upon annealing to room temperature, a cross-coupling reaction between molecular fragments occurs and ordered ad-layers are observed.</div><div>Comparison of the present result with those previously reported for deposition at 300 K and annealing to higher temperature shows that the final product of the cross-coupling reaction is a different di-phenyl-bi-pyridine isomer. Therefore, we confirm the presence of a rich chemistry at the base of the cyclometallate-metal interaction, that significantly modifies the nature of the compounds, and we envisage the possibility to tune the final product of cross-coupling reactions by selecting the suitable preparation protocol.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":22100,"journal":{"name":"Surface Science","volume":"756 ","pages":"Article 122724"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-02-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143510118","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}