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Ib Chorkendorff

Publications and source records attributed to Ib Chorkendorff.

7 recordsLinked to original sources

Assembled monolayers of Mo3S4(4+) clusters on well-defined surfaces.

A class of inorganic monolayers formed by assembling the molybdenum-sulfur cluster, Mo3S4(4+), onto a well-defined Au(111) surface is presented. The monolayers have been comprehensively characterized by electrochemistry, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and in situ scanning tunneling microscopy (in situ STM). The voltammetric data show strong reductive and oxidative desorption signals from Au-S interactions, supported by the presence of both S and Mo signals in XPS. In situ STM shows many small pits in the dense adlayers uniformly spread over the surface, which is a typical feature of self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) of alkanethiols. The density of the pits is ca. 23 (+/-5)% and is significantly higher than for straight-chain alkanethiol SAMs with a single -SH group. The pit shapes are irregular, suggesting multiple Au-S interactions from Mo3S4(4+). High resolution images disclose bright round spots of ca. 8 A diameter representing individual molecules in the SAM. This is the first example of in situ monolayer formation by a metal-chalcogenide cluster directly anchored onto the gold surface through core ligands and offers a simple way to prepare a new class of functionalized inorganic monolayers.

Journal Article↗

Hierarchical self-assembly of designed 2 x 2-alpha-helix bundle proteins on Au(111) surfaces.

Self-assembled monolayers of biomolecules on atomically planar surfaces offer the prospect of complex combinations of controlled properties, e.g., for bioelectronics. We have prepared a novel hemi-4-alpha-helix bundle protein by attaching two alpha-helical peptides to a cyclo-dithiothreitol (cyclo-DTT) template. The protein was de novo designed to self-assemble in solution to form a 4-alpha-helix bundle, whereas the disulfide moiety enables the formation of a self-assembled monolayer on a Au(111) surface by opening of the disulfide, thus giving rise to a two-step self-assembly process. The 2 x 2-alpha-helix bundle protein and its template were studied by X-ray photo electron spectroscopy (XPS), electrochemical methods, and electrochemical in situ scanning tunneling microscopy (in situ STM). XPS showed that the cyclo-DTT opens on adsorption to a gold surface with the integrity of the 2 x 2-alpha-helix bundle proteins retained. The surface properties of the DTT and 2 x 2-alpha-helix bundle protein adlayer were characterized by interfacial capacitance and impedance techniques. Reductive desorption was used to determine the coverage of the adlayers, giving values of 65 and 16 muC cm(-2) for DTT and 2 x 2-helix, respectively. The 2 x 2-alpha-helix bundle protein adlayers were imaged by in situ STM. The images indicated a dense monolayer according with the voltammetric data. No long-range order could be detected, but two clearly distinct STM contrasts were assigned to 2 x 2-alpha-helix bundle protein molecules oriented in parallel and antiparallel conformations. The template molecule DTT alone forms highly ordered 30-40 nm domains, giving an adlayer density which agreed well with the coverage determined by voltammetry. This could be exploited in STM imaging of mixed DTT/2 x 2-alpha-helix bundle protein monolayers, with clearly distinct STM patterns of the two components.

Electrochemistry↗

Isotopic exchange of CO adsorbed on Pt(111).

The isotopic exchange of CO adsorbed on Pt(111) was studied using polarization modulation IR reflection absorption spectroscopy (PM-IRRAS) and temperature programmed desorption. It was found that the rate constants for the exchange reaction are much higher than would be expected from previous investigations of CO adsorbed on Pt nanoparticles. The adsorption of CO on Pt(111) under elevated pressures of CO and H(2) was also studied using PM-IRRAS. It was seen that CO pressures above 1 mbar lead to a shift in the absorption peak arising from CO adsorbed on a bridge site from 1850 to 1875 cm(-1). Exposing the CO-covered Pt(111) surface to 1000 mbar H(2) did not lead to any significant desorption of CO at room temperature, whereas at 363 K H(2) exposure did lead to a significant desorption of CO, due to the increased chemical potential of H(2). In a mixture of CO and H(2) with partial pressures of 0.01 mbar and 1000 mbar, respectively, no significant effect of H(2) on the PM-IRRAS spectrum was seen at temperatures below 423 K.

Journal Article↗

Biomimetic hydrogen evolution: MoS2 nanoparticles as catalyst for hydrogen evolution.

The electrochemical hydrogen evolution reaction is catalyzed most effectively by the Pt group metals. As H2 is considered as a future energy carrier, the need for these catalysts will increase and alternatives to the scarce and expensive Pt group catalysts will be needed. We analyze the ability of different metal surfaces and of the enzymes nitrogenase and hydrogenase to catalyze the hydrogen evolution reaction and find a necessary criterion for high catalytic activity. The necessary criterion is that the binding free energy of atomic hydrogen to the catalyst is close to zero. The criterion enables us to search for new catalysts, and inspired by the nitrogenase active site, we find that MoS2 nanoparticles supported on graphite are a promising catalyst. They catalyze electrochemical hydrogen evolution at a moderate overpotential of 0.1-0.2 V.

Catalysis↗

Energetic mapping of Ni catalysts by detailed kinetic modeling.

Temperature-programmed desorption (TPD) of CO has been performed on supported and unsupported nickel catalysts. The unsupported Ni catalyst consists of a Ni(14 13 13) single crystal which has been studied under ultrahigh vacuum conditions. The desorption energy for CO at low CO surface coverage was found to be 119 kJ/mol, and the binding energy of C to the Ni(111) surface of the crystal was 703 kJ/mol. The supported catalysts consist of nickel supported on hydrotalcite-like compounds with three different Mg2+/Al3+ ratios. The experimental results show that for the supported Ni catalysts TPD of CO leads to desorption of both CO and CO2, with the latter being dominant. Dissociation of CO takes place, and considerable amounts of residue C are left on the surface. The residue C is removed by temperature-programmed oxidation (TPO). The results show that a low Mg2+/Al3+ ratio in the hydrotalcite precursor seems to result in more steplike sites, kinks, and defects for carbon monoxide dissociation. A detailed kinetic modeling of the TPO results based on elementary reaction steps has been conducted to give an energetic map of supported Ni catalysts. Experimental results from the ideal Ni surface fit nicely with literature values, providing useful information for identifying active sites on supported Ni catalysts.

Journal Article↗

Monolayer assemblies of a de novo designed 4-alpha-helix bundle carboprotein and its sulfur anchor fragment on Au(111) surfaces addressed by voltammetry and in situ scanning tunneling microscopy.

Mapping and control of proteins and oligonucleotides on metallic and nonmetallic surfaces are important in many respects. Electrochemical techniques based on single-crystal electrodes and scanning probe microscopies directly in aqueous solution (in situ SPM) have recently opened perspectives for such mapping at a resolution that approaches the single-molecule level. De novo design of model proteins has evolved in parallel and holds promise for testing and controlling protein folding and for new tailored protein structural motifs. In this report we combine these two strategies. We present a scheme for the synthesis of a new 4-alpha-helix bundle carboprotein built on a galactopyranoside derivative with a thiol anchor aglycon suitable for surface immobilization on gold. The carboprotein with thiol anchor in monomeric and dimeric (disulfide) form, the thiol anchor alone, and a sulfur-free 4-alpha-helix bundle carboprotein without thiol anchor have been prepared and investigated for comparison. Cyclic and differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) of the proteins show desorption peaks around -750 mV (SCE), whereas the thiol anchor desorption peak is at -685 mV. The peaks are by far the highest for thiol monomeric 4-alpha-helix bundle carboprotein and the thiol anchor. This pattern is supported by capacitance data. The DPV and capacitance data for the thiolated 4-alpha-helix bundle carboproteins and the thiol anchor hold a strong Faradaic reductive desorption component as supported by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The desorption peak of the sulfur-free 4-alpha-helix bundle carboprotein, however, also points to a capacitive component. In situ scanning tunneling microscopy (in situ STM) of the thiol anchor discloses an adlayer with small domains and single molecules ordered in pin-striped supramolecular structures. In situ STM of thiolated 4-alpha-helix bundle carboprotein monomer shows a dense monolayer in a broad potential range on the positive side of the desorption potential. The coverage decreases close to this potential and single-molecule structures become apparent. The in situ STM contrast is also strengthened, indicative of a new redox-based tunneling mechanism. The data overall suggest that single-molecule mapping of natural and synthetic proteins on well-characterized surfaces by electrochemistry and in situ STM is within reach.

Amino Acid Sequence↗