Electron spin resonance in catalysis

Electron Spin Resonance in Catalysis Jack H. Lunsford... 

The chapter Electron Spin Resonance in Catalysis by Lunsford was prompted by the extensive activity in this field since the publication of an article on a similar subject in Volume 12 of this serial publication. This chapter is limited to paramagnetic species that are reasonably well defined by means of their spectra. It contains applications of ESR technique to the study of adsorbed atoms and molecules, and also to the evaluation of surface effects. The application of ESR to the determination of the state of transition metal ions in catalytic reactions is also discussed. 

Lunsford JH (1972) Electron spin resonance in catalysis. Adv Catal 22 265-344... 

Ribonucleotide reductase differs from the other 5 -deoxyadenosyl-cobalamin requiring enzymes in a number of respects. Hydrogen is transferred from coenzyme to the C2-position of the ribose moiety without inversion of configuration. Also since lipoic acid functions in hydrogen transfer, exchange with solvent protons takes place. Furthermore, exchange between free and bound 5 -deoxyadenosylcobalamin occurs rapidly during catalysis. Evidence for a Co(I)-corrin as an intermediate for this reduction is presented in our section on electron spin resonance. 

Electron spin resonance (ESR) signals, detected from phosphinated polystyrene-supported cationic rhodium catalysts both before and after use (for olefinic and ketonic substrates), have been attributed to the presence of rhodium(II) species (348). The extent of catalysis by such species generally is uncertain, although the activity of one system involving RhCls /phosphinated polystyrene has been attributed to rho-dium(II) (349). Rhodium(II) phosphine complexes have been stabilized by steric effects (350), which could pertain to the polymer alternatively (351), disproportionation of rhodium(I) could lead to rhodium(II) [Eq. (61)]. The accompanying isolated metal atoms in this case offer a potential source of ESR signals as well as the catalysis. 

The title Spectroscopy in Catalysis is attractively compact but not quite precise. The book also introduces microscopy, diffraction and temperature programmed reaction methods, as these are important tools in the characterization of catalysts. As to applications, I have limited myself to supported metals, oxides, sulfides and metal single crystals. Zeolites, as well as techniques such as nuclear magnetic resonance and electron spin resonance have been left out, mainly because the author has little personal experience with these subjects. Catalysis in the year 2000 would not be what it is without surface science. Hence, techniques that are applicable to study the surfaces of single crystals or metal foils used to model catalytic surfaces, have been included. 

Fig. 1.8 Possibilities for spectroscopic research in catalysis (for abbreviations, see Fig. 1.7). AFM Atomic force microscopy ESR Electron spin resonance RBS Rutherford backscattering SNMS secondary neutral mass spectrometry.

Applications of Electron Spin Resonance Spectroscopy to Catalysis in Direct Coal Liquefaction... 

One of the first applications of electron spin resonance (ESR) spectroscopy to catalysis was in a study of the chromia-alumina system, and during the last five years or so a number of publications have appeared dealing with this subject. The ESR spectra of supported chromia catalysts have been interpreted in terms of various chromium ion configurations or phases, each of which wiU be discussed below. It will be seen that these data substantiate many of the conclusions drawn from the magnetic susceptibility data described above, and, in addition, they provide a deeper insight into the molecular structure of chromia-alumina catalysts than can be obtained from static susceptibility measurements alone. This body of research serves as a very good illustration of the potential usefulness of ESR spectroscopy to the catalytic chemist, particularly when one considers that all of the data to be discussed below were obtained on poorly crystallized, high surface area powders, typical of practical catalysts. 

Furthermore, with the advent of improved instriunentation and experimental techniques interesting in-situ investigations became possible which were related, for instance, to the synthesis of and heterogeneous catalysis on zeofites, catalyst deactivation, diffusion or solid-state ion exchange as well as other postsynthesis modifications. Combinations of IR spectroscopy with various characterization techniques such as, e.g., temperature-programmed desorption of probe molecules (TPD/IR, cf.[223,224]), electron spin resonance spectroscopy (ESR/IR, cf.[225,226]), UV-Vis spectroscopy [227,228], etc. were developed. 

Amino-acids, Peptides, and Proteins Biosynthesis Carbohydrate Chemistry Catalysis Colloid Science Electrochemistry Electron Spin Resonance Electronic Structure and Magnetism of Inorganic Compounds Environmantal Chamistry Foreign Compound Metabolism in Mammals... 

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