Formation of hydronium and water-hydronium complexes during coadsorption of hydrogen and water on (2x1) Pt (110)

N. Chen, P. Blowers, R. I. Masel

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

56 Scopus citations

Abstract

In the previous literature, people have found that a new species forms when hydrogen and water coadsorb on various faces of platinum. The new species was identified as "hydronium" based on a preliminary analysis of electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS) spectra. At present, this assignment is not well accepted in the literature since thermodynamically a bare hydronium ion would not be stable on platinum. In this paper we do the measurements and the calculations to tie down the identity of the species. Ab initio methods are used to estimate the vibrational spectrum of H3O+ , and [(H2O)xH+] with x = 2, 3 or 4, H3O radicals, H2-H2O complexes and H3O-. We then measured better quality EELS spectra than had appeared in the previous literature for coadsorption of hydrogen and water on Pt(110). By comparing our experimental spectra and calculated spectra, we found the calculated spectrum of H5O+2 and H7O+3 fit our experimental data the best. These results suggest that the species which forms when hydrogen and water coadsorb on platinum is a cationic species similar to hydronium. It is probably not H3O+. However, it is likely that the surface includes a mixture of hydrated intermediates such as H5O+2, H7O+3 and H9O+4.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)150-157
Number of pages8
JournalSurface Science
Volume419
Issue number2-3
DOIs
StatePublished - Jan 4 1999
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • Ab initio quantum chemical methods and calculations
  • Chemisorption
  • Compound formation
  • Electron energy loss spectroscopy
  • Hydrogens
  • Platinum
  • Water

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Condensed Matter Physics
  • Surfaces and Interfaces
  • Surfaces, Coatings and Films
  • Materials Chemistry

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