A comparative study on the stability of the furfural molecule on the low index Ni, Pd and Pt surfaces

• Published in: Royal Society open science Vol. 9; no. 3; p. 211516
• Main Authors: Khan, Alveena Z, Alitt, Jacob, Germaney, Rhiannon, Hamada, Ikutaro, Wells, Peter P, Dimitratos, Nikolaos, Catlow, C Richard A, Villa, Alberto, Chutia, Arunabhiram
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England The Royal Society 01-03-2022
• Subjects: catalysis; Chemistry; density functional theory; furfural; pristine metal surface; stability; catalysis; furfural; stability; density functional theory; pristine metal surface
• ISSN: 2054-5703; 2054-5703
• DOI: 10.1098/rsos.211516

We present a comparative density functional theory investigation of the furfural (Ff) molecule on the low index Ni, Pd and Pt surfaces to understand its geometrical and electronic properties to gain mechanistic insights into the experimentally measured catalytic reactivities of these metal catalysts. We show that the number of metal
states, which hybridize with the nearest C and O
-orbitals of the Ff molecule, can be used to explain the stability of the Ff molecule on these surfaces. We find that the hybridization between atoms with higher electronegativity and the metal
states plays a crucial role in determining the stability of these systems. Furthermore, we also find electron transfer from metal to the Ff molecule on the Ni and Pd surfaces, with a reverse process occurring on the Pt surface.