@article{WirthMonturetKlamrothetal.2011,
  author    = {Wirth, Jonas and Monturet, Serge and Klamroth, Tillmann and Saalfrank, Peter},
  title     = {Adsorption and (photo-) electrochemical splitting of water on rutile ruthenium dioxide},
  series = {epl : a letters journal exploring the frontiers of physics},
  volume    = {93},
  journal   = {epl : a letters journal exploring the frontiers of physics},
  number    = {6},
  publisher = {EDP Sciences},
  address   = {Mulhouse},
  issn      = {0295-5075},
  doi       = {10.1209/0295-5075/93/68001},
  pages     = {6},
  year      = {2011},
  abstract  = {In this work, the adsorption and splitting of the water molecule by light and/or an external potential is investigated in the frame of (photo-) electrochemical cells using a rutile ruthenium dioxide anode. With the help of periodic density functional calculations, the adsorbed structures of H(2)O and some radicals involved in the splitting process (O, OH, OOH) are obtained and compared with the available experimental results. On the basis of these electronic-structure calculations, we use a method to calculate the stability of the reaction intermediates and conclude on the thermodynamical possibility of the water splitting reaction at the surface. We demonstrate that a moderate overpotential of 0.64 V is required for the reaction to take place at the RuO(2)(110) surface.},
  language  = {en}
}
@misc{WirthNeumannAntoniettietal.2014,
  author    = {Wirth, Jonas and Neumann, Rainer and Antonietti, Markus and Saalfrank, Peter},
  title     = {Adsorption and photocatalytic splitting of water on graphitic carbon nitride},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus4-74391},
  pages     = {15917 -- 15926},
  year      = {2014},
  abstract  = {Graphitic carbon nitride, g-C₃N₄, is a promising organic photo-catalyst for a variety of redox reactions. In order to improve its efficiency in a systematic manner, however, a fundamental understanding of the microscopic interaction between catalyst, reactants and products is crucial. Here we present a systematic study of water adsorption on g-C₃N₄ by means of density functional theory and the density functional based tight-binding method as a prerequisite for understanding photocatalytic water splitting. We then analyze this prototypical redox reaction on the basis of a thermodynamic model providing an estimate of the overpotential for both water oxidation and H⁺ reduction. While the latter is found to occur readily upon irradiation with visible light, we derive a prohibitive overpotential of 1.56 eV for the water oxidation half reaction, comparing well with the experimental finding that in contrast to H₂ production O₂ evolution is only possible in the presence of oxidation cocatalysts.},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{WirthNeumannAntoniettietal.2014,
  author    = {Wirth, Jonas and Neumann, Rainer and Antonietti, Markus and Saalfrank, Peter},
  title     = {Adsorption and photocatalytic splitting of water on graphitic carbon nitride},
  series = {physical chemistry, chemical physics : PCCP},
  volume    = {2014},
  journal   = {physical chemistry, chemical physics : PCCP},
  number    = {16},
  issn      = {1463-9076},
  doi       = {10.1039/c4cp02021a},
  pages     = {15917 -- 15926},
  year      = {2014},
  abstract  = {Graphitic carbon nitride, g-C₃N₄, is a promising organic photo-catalyst for a variety of redox reactions. In order to improve its efficiency in a systematic manner, however, a fundamental understanding of the microscopic interaction between catalyst, reactants and products is crucial. Here we present a systematic study of water adsorption on g-C₃N₄ by means of density functional theory and the density functional based tight-binding method as a prerequisite for understanding photocatalytic water splitting. We then analyze this prototypical redox reaction on the basis of a thermodynamic model providing an estimate of the overpotential for both water oxidation and H⁺ reduction. While the latter is found to occur readily upon irradiation with visible light, we derive a prohibitive overpotential of 1.56 eV for the water oxidation half reaction, comparing well with the experimental finding that in contrast to H₂ production O₂ evolution is only possible in the presence of oxidation cocatalysts.},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{WirthNeumannAntoniettietal.2014,
  author    = {Wirth, Jonas and Neumann, Rainer and Antonietti, Markus and Saalfrank, Peter},
  title     = {Adsorption and photocatalytic splitting of water on graphitic carbon nitride: a combined first principles and semiempirical study},
  series = {Physical chemistry, chemical physics : a journal of European Chemical Societies},
  volume    = {16},
  journal   = {Physical chemistry, chemical physics : a journal of European Chemical Societies},
  number    = {30},
  publisher = {Royal Society of Chemistry},
  address   = {Cambridge},
  issn      = {1463-9076},
  doi       = {10.1039/c4cp02021a},
  pages     = {15917 -- 15926},
  year      = {2014},
  abstract  = {Graphitic carbon nitride, g-C3N4, is a promising organic photo-catalyst for a variety of redox reactions. In order to improve its efficiency in a systematic manner, however, a fundamental understanding of the microscopic interaction between catalyst, reactants and products is crucial. Here we present a systematic study of water adsorption on g-C3N4 by means of density functional theory and the density functional based tight-binding method as a prerequisite for understanding photocatalytic water splitting. We then analyze this prototypical redox reaction on the basis of a thermodynamic model providing an estimate of the overpotential for both water oxidation and H+ reduction. While the latter is found to occur readily upon irradiation with visible light, we derive a prohibitive overpotential of 1.56 eV for the water oxidation half reaction, comparing well with the experimental finding that in contrast to H-2 production O-2 evolution is only possible in the presence of oxidation cocatalysts.},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{WirthKirschWlosczyketal.2016,
  author    = {Wirth, Jonas and Kirsch, Harald and Wlosczyk, Sebastian and Tong, Yujin and Saalfrank, Peter and Campen, Richard Kramer},
  title     = {Characterization of water dissociation on alpha-Al2O3(1(1)over-bar02): theory and experiment},
  series = {Physical chemistry, chemical physics : a journal of European Chemical Societies},
  volume    = {18},
  journal   = {Physical chemistry, chemical physics : a journal of European Chemical Societies},
  publisher = {Royal Society of Chemistry},
  address   = {Cambridge},
  issn      = {1463-9076},
  doi       = {10.1039/c6cp01397j},
  pages     = {14822 -- 14832},
  year      = {2016},
  abstract  = {The interaction of water with a-alumina (i.e. alpha-Al2O3) surfaces is important in a variety of applications and a useful model for the interaction of water with environmentally abundant aluminosilicate phases. Despite its significance, studies of water interaction with alpha-Al2O3 surfaces other than the (0001) are extremely limited. Here we characterize the interaction of water (D2O) with a well defined alpha-Al2O3(1 (1) over bar 02) surface in UHV both experimentally, using temperature programmed desorption and surface-specific vibrational spectroscopy, and theoretically, using periodic-slab density functional theory calculations. This combined approach makes it possible to demonstrate that water adsorption occurs only at a single well defined surface site (the so-called 1-4 configuration) and that at this site the barrier between the molecularly and dissociatively adsorbed forms is very low: 0.06 eV. A subset of OD stretch vibrations are parallel to this dissociation coordinate, and thus would be expected to be shifted to low frequencies relative to an uncoupled harmonic oscillator. To quantify this effect we solve the vibrational Schrodinger equation along the dissociation coordinate and find fundamental frequencies red-shifted by more than 1500 cm(-1). Within the context of this model, at moderate temperatures, we further find that some fraction of surface deuterons are likely delocalized: dissociatively and molecularly absorbed states are no longer distinguishable.},
  language  = {en}
}
@misc{WirthKirschWlosczyketal.2016,
  author    = {Wirth, Jonas and Kirsch, Harald and Wlosczyk, Sebastian and Tong, Yujin and Saalfrank, Peter and Kramer Campen, Richard},
  title     = {Characterization of water dissociation on α-Al2O3(1102)},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus4-394497},
  pages     = {14822 -- 14832},
  year      = {2016},
  abstract  = {The interaction of water with α-alumina (i.e. α-Al2O3) surfaces is important in a variety of applications and a useful model for the interaction of water with environmentally abundant aluminosilicate phases. Despite its significance, studies of water interaction with α-Al2O3 surfaces other than the (0001) are extremely limited. Here we characterize the interaction of water (D2O) with a well defined α-Al2O3(1[1 with combining macron]02) surface in UHV both experimentally, using temperature programmed desorption and surface-specific vibrational spectroscopy, and theoretically, using periodic-slab density functional theory calculations. This combined approach makes it possible to demonstrate that water adsorption occurs only at a single well defined surface site (the so-called 1-4 configuration) and that at this site the barrier between the molecularly and dissociatively adsorbed forms is very low: 0.06 eV. A subset of OD stretch vibrations are parallel to this dissociation coordinate, and thus would be expected to be shifted to low frequencies relative to an uncoupled harmonic oscillator. To quantify this effect we solve the vibrational Schr{\"o}dinger equation along the dissociation coordinate and find fundamental frequencies red-shifted by more than 1500 cm-1. Within the context of this model, at moderate temperatures, we further find that some fraction of surface deuterons are likely delocalized: dissociatively and molecularly absorbed states are no longer distinguishable.},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{WirthHatterDrostetal.2015,
  author    = {Wirth, Jonas and Hatter, Nino and Drost, Robert and Umbach, Tobias R. and Barja, Sara and Zastrow, Matthias and R{\"u}ck-Braun, Karola and Pascual, Jose Ignacio and Saalfrank, Peter and Franke, Katharina J.},
  title     = {Diarylethene Molecules on a Ag(111) Surface: Stability and Electron-Induced Switching},
  series = {The journal of physical chemistry : C, Nanomaterials and interfaces},
  volume    = {119},
  journal   = {The journal of physical chemistry : C, Nanomaterials and interfaces},
  number    = {9},
  publisher = {American Chemical Society},
  address   = {Washington},
  issn      = {1932-7447},
  doi       = {10.1021/jp5122036},
  pages     = {4874 -- 4883},
  year      = {2015},
  abstract  = {Diarylethene derivatives are photochromic molecular switches, undergoing a ring-opening/-closing reaction by illumination with light. The symmetry of the closed form is determined by the WoodWard Hoffinann rules according to which the reaction proceeds by corirotatory rotation -in that case. Here, we show by a cOrnbined approach of scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and density functional theory (DFT) calculations that the Open isomer of 4,4'-(4,4'-(perfluorocydopent-1-ene-1,2-diyl)bis(5-methyl-thiophent-4,2,4-dipyridine) (PDTE) retains its open form upon adsorption on a Ag(111) surface. It caribe switched into a closed form, which we identify as the digrotatOly cydization product, by controlled manipulation 'With the STM tip, Evidence of an electric-field dependent switching-process 'is interpreted on the basis of a Simple electroStatic Model, which suggests that the reaction proceedS via an "upright" intermediate state. This pathway thus strongly differs from the switching reaction in solution.},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{KirschWirthTongetal.2014,
  author    = {Kirsch, Harald and Wirth, Jonas and Tong, Yujin and Wolf, Martin and Saalfrank, Peter and Campen, Richard Kramer},
  title     = {Experimental characterization of unimolecular water dissociative adsorption on alpha-alumina},
  series = {The journal of physical chemistry : C, Nanomaterials and interfaces},
  volume    = {118},
  journal   = {The journal of physical chemistry : C, Nanomaterials and interfaces},
  number    = {25},
  publisher = {American Chemical Society},
  address   = {Washington},
  issn      = {1932-7447},
  doi       = {10.1021/jp502106t},
  pages     = {13623 -- 13630},
  year      = {2014},
  abstract  = {alpha-Al2O3 surfaces are common in both engineered applications and the environment. Much prior work indicates that their properties, e.g., reactivity, polarity, and charge, change dramatically on interaction with water. Perhaps the simplest question that can be asked of alpha-Al2O3/water interaction is how a single water molecule interacts with the most stable alpha-Al2O3 surface: the alpha-Al2O3(0001). Over the last 15 years, a series of theoretical studies have found that water dissociatively adsorbs on alpha-Al2O3(0001) through two channels. However, to our knowledge no experimental evidence of these dissociation pathways has appeared. By combining sample preparation via supersonic molecular beam dosing, sample characterization via coherent, surface specific vibrational spectroscopy and electronic structure theory, we report the first experimental observation of reaction products of each, theoretically predicted, dissociation channel. These results thus overcome a 15 year old experiment/theory disconnect and make possible a variety of intriguing experiments that promise to provide significant new insights into water/Al2O3 and water/oxide interaction more generally.},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{WirthSchachtSaalfranketal.2016,
  author    = {Wirth, Jonas and Schacht, Julia and Saalfrank, Peter and Paulus, Beate},
  title     = {Fluorination of the Hydroxylated alpha-Al2O3 (0001) and Its Implications for Water Adsorption: A Theoretical Study},
  series = {The journal of physical chemistry : C, Nanomaterials and interfaces},
  volume    = {120},
  journal   = {The journal of physical chemistry : C, Nanomaterials and interfaces},
  publisher = {American Chemical Society},
  address   = {Washington},
  issn      = {1932-7447},
  doi       = {10.1021/acs.jpcc.5b10975},
  pages     = {9713 -- 9718},
  year      = {2016},
  abstract  = {Fluorination of the hydroxylated alpha-Al2O3 (0001) surface is studied using periodic density functional theory calculations. On the basis of a hypothetical reaction substituting surface hydroxyl groups with fluorine atoms, we find surface fluorination to be strongly exergonic but kinetically hindered. Fluorinated surface areas turn out to be rather hydrophobic as compared to hydroxylated areas, suggesting fluorination as a potential route for tuning oxide surface properties such as hydrophilicity.},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{TongWirthKirschetal.2015,
  author    = {Tong, Yujin and Wirth, Jonas and Kirsch, Harald and Wolf, Martin and Saalfrank, Peter and Campen, Richard Kramer},
  title     = {Optically probing Al-O and O-H vibrations to characterize water adsorption and surface reconstruction on alpha-alumina: An experimental and theoretical study},
  series = {The journal of chemical physics : bridges a gap between journals of physics and journals of chemistr},
  volume    = {142},
  journal   = {The journal of chemical physics : bridges a gap between journals of physics and journals of chemistr},
  number    = {5},
  publisher = {American Institute of Physics},
  address   = {Melville},
  issn      = {0021-9606},
  doi       = {10.1063/1.4906346},
  pages     = {12},
  year      = {2015},
  abstract  = {Oxide/water interfaces are ubiquitous in a wide variety of applications and the environment. Despite this ubiquity, and attendant decades of study, gaining molecular level insight into water/oxide interaction has proven challenging. In part, this challenge springs from a lack of tools to concurrently characterize changes in surface structure (i.e., water/oxide interaction from the perspective of the solid) and O-H population and local environment (i.e., water/oxide interaction from the water perspective). Here, we demonstrate the application of surface specific vibrational spectroscopy to the characterization of the interaction of the paradigmatic alpha-Al2O3(0001) surface and water. By probing both the interfacial Al-O (surface phonon) and O-H spectral response, we characterize this interaction from both perspectives. Through electronic structure calculation, we assign the interfacial Al-O response and rationalize its changes on surface dehydroxylation and reconstruction. Because our technique is all-optical and interface specific, it is equally applicable to oxide surfaces in vacuum, ambient atmospheres and at the solid/liquid interface. Application of this approach to additional alumina surfaces and other oxides thus seems likely to significantly expand our understanding of how water meets oxide surfaces and thus the wide variety of phenomena this interaction controls. (C) 2015 AIP Publishing LLC.},
  language  = {en}
}