Copper oxygen interaction

The selectivity to ethane is controlled by the oxygen partial pressure and thus the copper oxygen interaction. Experiments under steady state conditions at different temperatures shows that the deactivation of the catalyst corresponds to the formation of carbon and the destruction of the facettes on the catalyst surface. After a reaction time of about 6h the defined character or the facetted surface is exchanged by an undefined spongelike appearance. Both, the formation of carbon deposits and the change of the surface character of the facettes seems to be resposible for the deactivation of the copper catalyst during the reaction. 

Figure 8. In region A, the metal and polymer are welded mostly by mechanical interactions and only minimally by chemical means. In this region, the underside of the metal trace is uniformly pink colored. During the heat treatment, oxygen diffuses to the metal/polyetherimide interphase and aids formation of a copper-oxygen-polymer linkage.

How Would an Iron- or Copper-Protein Interact with Molecular Oxygen ... 

Oxygen has a dual role in corrosion of copper. It stimulates attack by an interaction at the cathode, and it retards corrosion by producing a protective corrosion-product layer. High velocity can disturb the corrosion-product layer, increasing attack. 

A striking example of the interaction of solution velocity and concentration is given by Zembura who found that for copper in aerated 0-1 N H2SO4, the controlling process was the oxygen reduction reaction and that up to 50°C, the slow step is the activation process for that reaction. At 75 C the process is now controlled by diffiision, and increasing solution velocity has a large effect on the corrosion rate (Fig. 2.5), but little effect at temperatures below 50 C. This study shows how unwise it is to separate these various... 

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