Biomedical subjects

Yoshitada Morikawa

Publications and source records attributed to Yoshitada Morikawa.

6 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2006

Density functional theoretical calculations for a Co2/gamma-Al2O3 model catalyst: structures of the gamma-Al2O3 bulk and surface and attachment sites for Co2+ ions.

First-principle density functional theory (DFT) calculations on the electronic state and structure of a [Co2+]2/gamma-Al2O3 model catalyst have been performed in relation to catalysis for unique NO-CO reactions on a Co2+ ensemble/gamma-Al2O3 catalyst. The DFT calculations reveal that a bulk structure of gamma-Al2O3 is energetically most favorable when aluminum vacancies are evenly dispersed at octahedral sites, and that the (110) plane is exposed as a top-most layer by its neutrality. Two Co2+ ions on the (110) surface are supported adjacently to each other in a tetrahedral symmetry. The calculations also demonstrate that the vacant d orbitals of the two Co2+ ions are directed toward each other, which brings about an adsorbate-adsorbate interaction between two molecules which adsorb on each of the Co2+ ions. This may be an origin of the unique aspect of Co2+ ensemble/gamma-Al2O3 catalysis.

Journal Article↗

PubMed2006

Structure and binding energies of unsaturated hydrocarbons on Si(001) and Ge(001).

The adsorption of acetylene, ethylene, and benzene on the Si(001) and Ge(001) surfaces is investigated by first-principles density-functional calculations within the generalized-gradient approximation. We find that the adsorption energies of the three hydrocarbons containing a triple bond, a double bond, and a pi-conjugated aromatic ring decrease as the sequence of C2H2>C2H4>C6H6. We also find that the bondings of acetylene, ethylene, and benzene to Ge(001) are much weaker than those to Si(001). As a result, benzene is weakly bound to Ge(001) while it is chemisorbed on Si(001), consistent with temperature-programmed desorption data.

Journal Article↗

PubMed2006

Why is formate synthesis insensitive to copper surface structures?

Experiments have revealed that formate synthesis from carbon dioxide and hydrogen is structure insensitive to copper catalyst surfaces, while the reverse formate decomposition reaction is structure sensitive. The present ab initio density functional theory (DFT) calculations show that the reaction of CO2 with surface atomic hydrogen initially leads to the formation of unstable monodentate formate, which has similar adsorption energies on Cu(111), Cu(100), and Cu(110). The structure of the transition state is similar to that of monodentate formate. It is also shown that gaseous CO2 is directly reacted with surface hydrogen, as suggested by previous experiments. The position of the similar transition state and the direct reaction mechanism well explain the similar energetic pathways, that is, the structure insensitivity.

Journal Article↗

PubMed2005

Oxygen vacancy promoting catalytic dehydration of formic acid on TiO2(110) by in situ scanning tunneling microscopic observation.

The catalytic dehydration reaction processes of formic acid on a TiO2(110) surface at 350 K have been studied to visualize reaction intermediates and their dynamic behaviors by scanning tunneling microscopy. Three types of configurations of adsorbed formates on the surface were identified by their shapes and positions in STM images. Successive STM observations revealed transformations among the three configurations, i.e., bridge formate on a 5-fold coordinated Ti4+ row, bridge formate on an oxygen vacancy site with an oxygen atom of formate and on a 5-fold coordinated Ti4+ ion and with the other formate oxygen atom, and a monodentate formate on an oxygen vacancy site with an oxygen atom of formate. The decomposition of the monodentate formate to carbon monoxide and hydroxyl was also imaged, which is a rate-determining step in the catalytic dehydration of formic acid. Combined with first-principle DFT calculations, the overall reaction processes of the catalytic dehydration of formic acid on the surface have been elucidated. Oxygen vacancies on the surface that can be produced by dehydration of two hydroxyls in situ under the catalytic reaction conditions are essential for the reaction.

Catalysis↗

PubMed2005

Kinetic mechanism of methanol decomposition on Ni(111) surface: a theoretical study.

The decomposition of methanol on the Ni(111) surface has been studied with the pseudopotential method of density functional theory-generalized gradient approximation (DFT-GGA) and with the repeated slab models. The adsorption energies of possible species and the activation energy barriers of the possible elementary reactions involved are obtained in the present work. The major reaction path on Ni surfaces involves the O-H bond breaking in CH(3)OH and the further decomposition of the resulting methoxy species to CO and H via stepwise hydrogen abstractions from CH(3)O. The abstraction of hydrogen from methoxy itself is the rate-limiting step. We also confirm that the C-O and C-H bond-breaking paths, which lead to the formation of surface methyl and hydroxyl and hydroxymethyl and atom hydrogen, respectively, have higher energy barriers. Therefore, the final products are the adsorbed CO and H atom.

Carbon↗

PubMed2004

Density functional theory investigation of benzenethiol adsorption on Au(111).

We have studied the adsorption of benzenethiol molecules on the Au(111) surface by using first principles total energy calculations. A single thiolate molecule is adsorbed at the bridge site slightly shifted toward the fcc-hollow site, and is tilted by 61 degrees from the surface normal. As for the self-assembled monolayer (SAM) structures, the (2 square root of 3 x square root of 3)R30 degrees herringbone structure is stabilized against the (square root 3 x square root 3)R30 degrees structure by large steric relaxation. In the most stable (2 square root 3 x square root 3)R30 degrees SAM structure, the molecule is adsorbed at the bridge site with the tilting angle of 21 degrees, which is much smaller compared with the single molecule adsorption. The van der Waals interaction plays an important role in forming the SAM structure. The adsorption of benzenethiolates induces the repulsive interaction between surface Au atoms, which facilitates the formation of surface Au vacancy.

Journal Article↗