https://doi.org/10.1140/epjb/e2005-00036-4
A density functional study of molecular oxygen adsorption and reaction barrier on Pu (100) surface
Department of Physics, The University of Texas at Arlington, P.O. Box 19059, Arlington, Texas 76019, US
Corresponding author: a akr@uta.edu
Received:
28
August
2004
Published online:
11
February
2005
Oxygen molecule adsorptions on a Pu(100) surface have been studied in detail, using the generalized gradient approximation to density functional theory. Dissociative adsorption with a layer by layer alternate spin arrangement of the plutonium layer is found to be energetically more favorable compared to molecular adsorption. Hor2 approach on a bridge site without spin polarization was found to the highest chemisorbed site with an energy of 8.787 eV among all the cases studied. The second highest chemisorption energy of 8.236 eV, is the spin-polarized Hor2 or Ver approach at center site. Inclusion of spin polarization affects the chemisorption processes significantly, non-spin-polarized chemisorption energies being typically higher than the spin-polarized energies. We also find that the 5f electrons to be more localized in spin-polarized cases compared to the non-spin-polarized counterparts. The ionic part of O-Pu bonding plays a significant role, while the Pu 5f-O 2p hybridization was found to be rather week. Also, adsorptions of oxygen push the top of 5f band deeper away from the Fermi level, indicating further bonding by the 5f orbitals might be less probable. Except for the interstitial sites, the work functions increase due to adsorptions of oxygen.
PACS: 71.15.-m – Methods of electronic structure calculations / 71.15.Mb – Density functional theory, local density approximation, gradient and other corrections / 71.15.Nc – Total energy and cohesive energy calculations / 71.27.+a – Strongly correlated electron systems; heavy fermions
© EDP Sciences, Società Italiana di Fisica, Springer-Verlag, 2005
