title: Mechanisms for chemical transformations of (R,R)-tartaric acid on Cu(110): A first principles study.
abstract: Periodic density functional theory calculations are used to systematically investigate, for the first time, the mechanisms for chemical transformations of (R,R)-tartaric acid on a model Cu(110) surface. The overall potential energy surface for the chemical transformations is revealed. The calculations show that the adsorption of the intact biacid molecules of (R,R)-tartaric acid on Cu(110) surface is not strong, but upon adsorption on Cu(110), the biacid molecules will chemically transform immediately, rather than desorb from the surface. It is found that the chemical transformations of (R,R)-tartaric acid on Cu(110) is a thermodynamically favorable process, to produce the monotartrate species, bitartrate species, and H atoms. Kinetically, the initial reaction step is only one O-H bond scission in either one of the COOH group of a biacid molecule of (R,R)-tartaric acid leading to the formation of a monotartrate species and a H atom, which is an almost spontaneous process. The rate-controlling step is the O-H bond scission in the COOH group of a monotartrate species producing a bitartrate species and a H atom. The concerted reaction for simultaneously breaking the two O-H bonds in both COOH groups of a biacid molecule cannot proceed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Chemistry, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, People's Republic of China. jzhang@cpu.edu.cn
authors.forename: Ji
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Tao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: Chen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: Jianwei
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zou
authors.forename: Fengqi
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Cao
authors.forename: Yadong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D000327:Adsorption; D003300:Copper / Q000737:chemistry*; D006859:Hydrogen / Q000737:chemistry; D008956:Models, Chemical; D008958:Models, Molecular; D008968:Molecular Conformation; D013499:Surface Properties; D013644:Tartrates / Q000737:chemistry*; D013816:Thermodynamics
chemical_list: D013644:Tartrates; D003300:Copper; D006859:Hydrogen; C029768:tartaric acid