N2O + CO reaction over Si- and Se-doped graphenes: An ab initio DFT study

Catalytic conversion of non-CO2 green house gases and other harmful gases is a promising way to protect the atmospheric environment. Non-metal atom-doped graphene is attractive for use as a catalyst in the conversion due to its unique electronic properties, relatively low price and leaving no burden to the environment. To make an attempt on the development of green catalysts for the conversion, ab initio density functional theory is used to investigate the mechanisms of N2O reduction by CO on Si- and Se-doped graphenes. We have calculated the geometries and adsorption energies of reaction species (N2O, CO, N-2 and CO2) as well as energy profiles along the reaction pathways. The activation energies of N2O decomposition and CO oxidation on both Si- and Se-doped graphenes have been obtained. Our calculated results indicate that the catalytic activity of Si-doped graphene is better than the Fe+ in gas phase and comparable to the single Fe atom embedded on graphene. In the calculations, we found that van der Waals interactions and zero-point energy are two non-negligible factors for the predictions of the activation energies. Further discussion shows that Si-doped graphene can be one of efficient green catalysts for conversion of the airborne pollutants and Se-doped graphene can be a candidate for oxidizing CO by atomic oxygen. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.