Theoretical study on the reaction mechanism of the gas-phase H2/CO2/Ni(3D) system.

The ground-state potential energy surface (PES) in the gas-phase H2/CO2/Ni(3D) system is investigated at the CCSD(T)//B3LYP/6-311+G(2d,2p) levels in order to explore the possible reaction mechanism of the reverse water gas shift reaction catalyzed by Ni(3D). The calculations predict that the C-O bond cleavage of CO2 assisted by co-interacted H2 is prior to the dissociation of the H2, and the most feasible reaction path for Ni(3D) + H2 + CO2 --> Ni(3D) + H2O + CO is endothermic by 12.5 kJ mol(-1) with an energy barrier of 103.9 kJ mol(-1). The rate-determining step for the overall reaction is predicted to be the hydrogen migration with water formation. The promotion effect of H2 on the cleavage of C-O bond in CO2 is also discussed and compared with the analogous reaction of Ni(3D) + CO2 --> NiO + CO, and the difference between triplet and singlet H2/CO2/Ni systems is also discussed.