Density functional theory (DFT) has been used as an important tool for studying activity of oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) catalysts. The dispersion effects, which are not encountered in many of the previous DFT studies for periodic Pt(111), are scrutinized for their role in predicting ORR activity on Pt (111) surface. Spin orbit coupling is employed to account for relativistic effects expected for heavy metal platinum, which has not been addressed in any of the previous studies on Pt(111). Adsorption behavior of intermediates and free energy changes of elementary reactions of ORR are analyzed with commonly used dispersion methods. A cumulative enhancement of ORR energetics and a maximum of 25% improvement in theoretical limiting potential are observed. The study illustrates the importance of consideration of these effects for better prediction of electrocatalytic activity for platinum based catalysts.
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