Transition metal atoms pathways on rutile TiO2 (110) surface: distribution of Ti3+ states and evidence of enhanced peripheral charge accumulation.

Charge transfer between metal nanoparticles and the supported TiO2 surface is primarily important for catalytic applications as it greatly affects the catalytic activity and the thermal stability of the deposited nanoparticles on the surface. Herein, systematic spin-polarized density functional and HSE06 calculations are performed to evaluate the adsorption, diffusion, and charge state of several transition metal monomers on both stoichiometric and reduced rutile TiO2 (110) surface. Although the presence of oxygen vacancy (Ov) increases the binding of Au, Pt and Pd on the surface, it weakens the interaction thus enhancing the diffusion for Fe, Co, Ni, Ag, and Cu adatoms on the surface. For pristine reduced surface, only a small portion (around 5%) of the excess electrons occupy the topmost surface, which are mainly delocalized at the second nearest and third nearest fivefold coordinated Ti (Ti5c) atoms. Excess electrons populating at the Ti5c atoms on the basal plane can be transferred to strongly electronegative adsorbates like Au and Pt thus enabling a moderate adsorption at this site, whereas no stable adsorption is found for other less electronegative transition metal adatoms (Ag, Cu, Fe, Co, Ni, and Pd) on the reduced surface and for all the adatoms on stoichiometric surface. This result clarifies the origin of the experimental observation of the adsorption of O2 and CO molecules at Ti5c sites in connection with charge transfer. In addition, the spatial redistribution of the excess electrons around the Ov upon the adsorption of the monomers is thoroughly examined. Our finding of an accumulation of excess electrons at the Ti5c sites around the monomers explains the critical role of the perimeter interface of the deposited nanoparticles in promoting the adsorption and activation of reactants observed in experiments.