Formaldehyde Adsorption and Sensing: A Density Functional Theory Study on Pd4 Nanocluster Decorated CNT Structure

Abstract

The sensing of formaldehyde, one of the volatile organic compounds used in chemical processes, is very important. In this study, the adsorption and sensing of formaldehyde molecule on Pd₄ nanocluster decorated carbon nanotube (Pd₄-CNT) was investigated by using DFT method. The WB97XD hybrid method was used in DFT calculations. The adsorption energy value was calculated as −8.1 kJ/mol. This low adsorption energy confirms the very short recovery time and the predominance of weak interactions. There was a decrease of approximately 20% in the HOMO-LUMO gap after the interaction. This result shows that the Pd₄-CNT can be used as a sensor at room temperature.