Ab initio studies of CN adsorbed on Ni(111)
- 15 November 1995
- journal article
- research article
- Published by AIP Publishing in The Journal of Chemical Physics
- Vol. 103 (19), 8756-8763
- https://doi.org/10.1063/1.470132
Abstract
The adsorption of cyanide (CN) on Ni(111) is treated using an ab initio embedding theory. The Ni(111) surface is modeled as a three‐layer, 28‐atom cluster with the Ni atoms fixed at bulk lattice sites. The present calculations show that CN is able to bind to the surface either via the carbon, or nitrogen, or in a side‐on geometry with very small differences in total energy (≊0.1 eV). Adsorptionenergies at threefold, bridge and atop sites are comparable, with the fcc threefold site more favorable over other adsorption sites by ≊0.1 eV. At the fcc threefold site, adsorptionenergies and C–N stretching frequencies are 5.0 eV and 2150 cm−1 for the η1‐cyanide‐N, 4.9 eV and 1970 cm−1 for the η1‐cyanide‐C, and 4.9 eV and 1840 cm−1 for the η2‐cyanide‐C,N, respectively. Dipole moment calculations show that the bonding of CN to the Ni surface is largely ionic, while η2‐cyanide‐C,N has more covalent character. Calculated energy barriers in going from η1‐cyanide‐C to η2‐cyanide‐C,N, and from η2‐cyanide‐C,N to η1‐cyanide‐N are around 0.1 eV. Thus although CN is strongly bound to the surface (at ≊5 eV), within an energy range of ≊0.2 eV, the molecule is free to rotate to other geometries. During this rotation there are large changes in the dipole moment.Keywords
This publication has 63 references indexed in Scilit:
- Vibrational spectra and thermal decomposition of methylamine and ethylamine on nickel(111)The Journal of Physical Chemistry, 1992
- Structure and orientation of organic molecules on metal surfacesCritical Reviews in Solid State and Materials Sciences, 1992
- XPS studies of the adsorption of CH3CN and C6H5CN on the Ni(111) surfaceSurface Science, 1986
- Electrode/electrolyte interphase study using polarization modulated ftir reflection-absorption spectroscopySurface Science, 1985
- X-ray photoelectron spectroscopic study for the adsorption and the decomposition of alkylamines on nickelSurface Science, 1985
- Vibrational studies of acetonitrile and methyl isocyanide adsorbed on nickel(111) and nickel(111)-carbon surfacesThe Journal of Physical Chemistry, 1981
- Adsorption of acetonitrile on evaporated nickel and palladium films studied by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopySurface Science, 1981
- Coordination chemistry of metal surfaces. 2. Chemistry of acetonitrile and methyl isocyanide on nickel surfacesJournal of the American Chemical Society, 1981
- Correlation of SERS with cyclic voltammetry for cyanide complexes adsorbed on Cu electrodesSurface Science, 1981
- A coordination chemistry study of a nickel surface. The chemistry of nickel (111) with triply bonded moleculesJournal of the American Chemical Society, 1979