Spontaneous activation of CO2 and corrosion pathways on iron surface Fe(100): a quantum mechanical study informed by DFT-based dynamics

Because of the rapidly increasing interest in technologies for capturing and permanently sequestering CO2 as part of a climate change mitigation strategy, understanding the interaction of CO2 with materials that comprise a sequestration system (steels, cements, silicate minerals, etc.) is of fundamental importance. The majority of models for corrosion of metals involve water-mediated processes, with CO2 dissolved in the aqueous phase playing a minor role in the process. In contrast, recent experiments with mild steels have shown that much greater corrosivity actually occurs in the dense CO2 phase, provided sufficient molecular water is present in the CO2 phase to catalyse certain reactions. In our study, we use DFT-based dynamics to study the internal structure of the the super-critical CO2/(H2O)n system, with n=0-4. While water does not disturb the super-critical CO2 phase, it also gives rise to short-lived CO2...H2O bonds which are likely to facilitate the activation of CO2 on the surface, but otherwise maintains its molecular form. We also use DFT methods to probe the fundamental interactions of CO2 or SO2 and H2O with clean or doped iron surfaces and determine the reactive pathways that lead to CO2 chemisorption, dissociation and further formation of corrosion products in the form of carbonates or sulfites. DFT-based molecular dynamics are employed to sample the configurational space of reactants and products more efficiently. CO2 adsorbs readily on the surface assuming a bent geometry, indicative of charge transfer from the surface to CO2, which closely resembles a CO2- moiety. Once CO2 is adsorbed, it can decompose to adsorbed O+CO, which further reacts with CO2 or SO2 to form corrosion products. Molecularly adsorbed water acts as catalyst to lower these reaction barriers. Clearly, the reactive pathways on the surface are quite different than those in aqueous solution. Battelle operates Pacific Northwest National Laboratory for the US Department of Energy.