PNNL

Abstract

Bulk tungsten trioxide (WO3) and rhenium trioxide (ReO3) share very similar structures but display different electronic properties. WO3 is a wide bandgap semiconductor while ReO3 is an electronic conductor. With the advanced molecular beam epitaxy techniques, it is possible to make heterostructures comprised of layers of WO3 and ReO3. These heterostructures might display reactivity different than pure WO3 and ReO3. The interactions of two probe molecules (hydrogen and methanol) with the (001) surfaces of WO3, ReO3, and two heterostructures ReO3/WO3 and WO3/ReO3 were investigated at the density functional theory level. Atomic hydrogen prefers to adsorb at the terminal O1C sites forming a surface hydroxyl on four surfaces. Dissociative adsorption of a hydrogen molecule at the O1C site leads to formation of a water molecule adsorbed at the surface M5C site. This is thermodynamically the most stable state. A thermodynamically less stable dissociative state involves two surface hydroxyl groups O1CH and O2CH. The interaction of molecular hydrogen and methanol with pure ReO3 is stronger than with pure WO3 and the strength of the interaction substantially changes on the WO3/ReO3 and ReO3/WO3 heterostructures. The reaction barriers for decomposition and recombination reactions are sensitive to the nature of heterostructure. The calculated adsorption energy of methanol on WO3(001) of -65.6 kJ/mol is consistent with the previous experimental estimation of -67 kJ/mol. This material is based upon work supported as part of the Center for Molecular Electrocatalysis, an Energy Frontier Research Center funded by the US Department of Energy, Office of Science, Office of Basic Energy Sciences.