Promoting the Cleavage of C–O Bonds at the Interface between a Metal Oxide Cluster and a Co(0001) Support

As a first step toward the rational design of Co-based catalysts with a higher activity and selectivity, we determine how one can activate a C–O bond at the interface between a metal oxide cluster and a Co(0001) support. The hypothesis here is that the metal ions in metal oxide clusters on a Co(0001) support enhance the adsorption of CO and weaken the C–O bond strength, which can then facilitate the dissociation of the CO reactant. To test this hypothesis, we developed three computational models of Ti4O8/Co(0001), Zr4O8/Co(0001), and Mn8O8/Co(0001). We quantify the CO adsorption behavior at the interface sites between an oxide cluster and a Co(0001) support as well as the corresponding IR spectra. We correlate the computed CO stretch frequencies with their CO adsorption energies, as well as the CO stretch frequency with the C–O bond length, and relate these findings to the changes in the chemical bonding in the bound CO. The interface is the most favorable site for CO adsorption. Adsorption results in an increase of the C–O bond length and a decrease in its vibrational frequency. From a chemical bonding analysis, the bond order in CO at this site drops from 3 (in the gas phase) to 1. This decrease in bond order is a necessary precursor stage for CO dissociation. The experimental measurements of the corresponding Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectra support this point. The favorability of CO adsorption at the interface sites is due to an electron transfer from the metal ion in the metal oxide cluster to the O atom in CO. We establish a linear relationship between the C–O bond length and CO frequency, and this relationship is found to be independent of the support, type of metal oxide cluster, or the adsorption site.