SummaryThe properties of a halogen-covered platinum(111) surface have been studied by using density functional theory (DFT), because halides are often present at electrochemical electrode/electrolyte interfaces. We focused in particular on the halogen-induced work function change as a function of the coverage of fluorine, chlorine, bromine and iodine. For electronegative adsorbates, an adsorption-induced increase of the work function is usually expected, yet we find a decrease of the work function for Cl, Br and I, which is most prominent at a coverage of approximately 0.25 ML. This coverage-dependent behavior can be explained by assuming a combination of charge transfer and polarization effects on the adsorbate layer. The results are contrasted to the adsorption of fluorine on calcium, a system in which a decrease in the work function is also observed despite a large charge transfer to the halogen adatom.

The structure of water on metal electrodes is addressed based on first-principles calculations. Special emphasis is paid on the competition between water-metal and water-water interaction as the structure determining factors. Thus the question will be discussed whether water at metal surfaces is ice-or rather liquid-like. The proper description of liquid phases requires to perform thermal averages. This has been done by combining first-principles electronic structure calculations with molecular dynamics simulations. After reviewing recent studies about water on flat, stepped and pre-covered metal electrodes, some new results will be presented.

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The co-adsorption of sulfate, bisulfate and hydrogen on Pt(111) and Au(111) electrodes was studied based on periodic density functional calculations with the aqueous electrolyte represented by both explicit and implicit solvent models. The influence of the electrochemical control parameters such as the electrode potential and pH was taken into account in a grand-canonical approach. Thus, phase diagrams of the stable coadsorption phases as a function of the electrochemical potential and Pourbaix diagrams have been derived which well reproduce experimental findings. We demonstrate that it is necessary to include explicit water molecules in order to determine the stable adsorbate phases as the (bi)sulfate adsorbates rows become significantly stabilized by bridging water molecules.

Two mechanisms have been cited as the reason for unexpected work function decrease upon adsorption of electronegative adatoms: electron spillout depletion [Michaelides et al., Phys. Rev. Lett., 2003, 90, 246103] and polarization of the adatom [Roman et al., Phys. Rev. Lett., 2013, 110, 156804]. We attempt to bridge the two pictures in this work. Work function changes due to the adsorption of halides on (111) surfaces of fcc metals (Ca, Sr, Ni, Pd, Pt, Cu, Ag, Au, Al and Pb) were studied using periodic density functional theory. The two mechanisms were found to be clearly independent of each other because of the opposite factors that lead to the work function decrease, and are therefore easy to distinguish. A more general picture of interpreting bond ionicity based on observed work function changes is discussed.