Adsorption and Reaction of SO2, H2S, and N2O on Graphene/Silicon(111): Successful Quest for a Metal-Free Catalyst – Theory and Experiment

Abdolvahab Seif,a,b Thomas Stach,c Trung T. Pham,d Md Arif Uddin,c Jean-François Colomer,d Robert Sporken,d Alberto Ambrosetti,a Pier Luigi Silvestrelli,a Uwe Burghaus*c

PNAS
Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 123 (10) e2524790123, https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2524790123 (2026)

www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2524790123 
DOI number 10.1073/pnas.2524790123.

a) Dipartimento di Fisica e Astronomia, Universit di Padova, Via Marzolo 8, 35131, Padova, Italy
b) Department of Chemistry, University of Turin, Via Pietro Giuria 7, 10125, Turin, Italy
c) Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, North Dakota State University (NDSU), 1311 Albrecht Blvd, Sugihara Hall, Fargo, ND, 58102, USA, uwe.burghaus@ndsu.edu
d) Département de physique, Namur Research Institute for Structured Matter, Université de Namur (UNamur), Rue de Bruxelles 61 - 5000 Namur, Belgium

Adsorption of Ethyl Ether on Graphene/Silicon – Theory and Experiment

T. Stach 1, Md Arif Uddin 1, Uwe Burghaus 1, Trung T. Pham 2, Robert Sporken 2, Abdolvahab Seif 3, Alberto Ambrosetti 3, Pier Luigi Silvestrelli 3

1) Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, North Dakota State University (NDSU), 1311 Albrecht Blvd, Sugihara Hall, Fargo, ND, 58102, USA, uwe.burghaus@ndsu.edu
2) Département de physique, Namur Research Institute for Structured Matter, Université de Namur (UNamur), Rue de Bruxelles 61 - 5000 Namur, Belgium
3) Dipartimento di Fisica e Astronomia, Universit di Padova, Via Marzolo 8, 35131, Padova, Italy

Surface Science 761 (2025) 122808

https://authors.elsevier.com/sd/article/S0039-6028(25)00115-3
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.susc.2025.122808
ISSN 0039-6028

Abstract: Adsorption of ethyl ether, CH3CH2–O–CH2CH3 (or C4H10O or (CH3CH2)2O), on graphene/Si(111) (hereafter Gr/Si(111)) was characterized by kinetics (multi-mass thermal desorption spectroscopy (TDS), steady-state rate measurements) and spectroscopic (Auger electron spectroscopy (AES), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Raman) techniques as well as by density functional theory calculations (DFT) as a potential metal-free catalyst. TDS results agree with the expected fragmentation pattern of molecular ethyl ether. AES and XPS spectra collected after ethyl ether adsorption are identical with data for pristine Gr/Si(111). Therefore, ethyl ether adsorbs molecularly, consistent with large activation energies for dissociation calculated by the DFT.

Keywords: Catalysis; Graphene; carbon catalysts; kinetics; spectroscopy; DFT

Adsorption of small sulfur compounds (H2S and SO2) on SiO2 supported graphene – the quest for a metal free catalyst – experiment and theory,
J. Phys. Chem. C 2024, 128, 22, 9068–9076
by T. Stach, Abdolvahab Seif, Alberto Ambrosetti, Pier Luigi Silvestrelli, U. Burghaus

Graphene as a Metal-Free Catalyst—Recent Case Studies, Chapter 6 in NanoCarbon: A Wonder Material for Energy Applications, Volume 1: Basics to Advanced Applications for Energy Production
Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd., Edited by Ram K. Gupta
by T. Stach (NDSU), Abdolvahab Seif (Padova), U. Burghaus (NDSU)
ISBN978-981-99-9934-7
https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-981-99-9935-4_6

H2S decomposition on graphene in ultra-high vacuum – experiment and theory,
by T. Stach (NDSU), Abdolvahab Seif (Italy), Alberto Ambrosetti (Italy), Pier Luigi Silvestrelli (Italy), U. Burghaus (NDSU)
JVST: A (Vol.41, Issue 6)
J. Vac. Sci. Technol. A 41, 062201 (2023);
https://doi.org/10.1116/6.0002948
DOI: 10.1116/6.0002948
[ related seminar talk ]

Effects of the support on the desorption kinetics of n-pentane from graphene: an ultra-high vacuum adsorption study,
J. Vac. Sci. Technol. A, Vol. 35, No. 6, Nov/Dec 2017, page 061404,
J. Vac. Sci. Technol. A 35, 061404 (2017),
by N. Sivapragasam,M. T. Nayakasinghe, A. Chakradhar, and U. Burghaus
http://scitation.aip.org/content/avs/journal/jvsta/35/6/10.1116/1.4989814
DOI: 10.1116/1.4989814
http://dx.doi.org/10.1116/1.4989814

Adsorption of n-butane on graphene/Ru(0001) – a molecular beam scattering study,
J. Vac. Sci. Technol. A 34(4), Jul/Aug 2016, 041404
by Nilushni Sivapragasam, Mindika T. Nayakasinghe, and Uwe Burghaus
http://scitation.aip.org/content/avs/journal/jvsta/34/4/10.1116/1.4954811
DOI: 10.1116/1.4954811

Adsorption of water on two-dimensional crystals: water/graphene and water/silicatene (short review)
Inorganics 2016, 4, 10
doi:10.3390/inorganics4020010
by Uwe Burghaus
Open access journal, http://www.mdpi.com/journal/inorganics/editors
Abstract: http://www.mdpi.com/2304-6740/4/2/10/
HTML Version: http://www.mdpi.com/2304-6740/4/2/10/html
PDF Version: http://www.mdpi.com/2304-6740/4/2/10/pdf

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Journal of Vacuum Science & Technology A 34, 021402 (2016);
doi: 10.1116/1.4936337
by Ashish Chakradhar, Nilushni Sivapragasam, Mindika T. Nayakasinghe, and Uwe Burghaus

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by A. Chakradhar, N. Sivapragasam, M. T. Nayakasinghe and U. Burghaus

Adsorption of water on graphene/Ru(0001)—an experimental ultra-high vacuum study,
Chemical Communications 50 (2014) 7698 - 7701,
by A. Chakradhar, U. Burghaus

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Chemical Physics Letters, 590 (2013) 146 - 152,
by A. Chakradhar, K.M. Trettel,* and U. Burghaus
*NSF REU fellow