Reaction with isobutane, catalysis

The reaction of isobutane with carbon monoxide in the presence of an excess of AICI3 was first reported by Nenitzescu et al. to yield a complex mixture of products, mainly carboxylic acids (Koch-Haaf reaction), but also some methyl isopropyl ketone, a formylation product. Later, Olah et al. louiid " that in the reaction of adamantane (26) with carbon monoxide under superacidic catalysis, formylation (formation of 1-adamantanecarboxaldehyde) effectively competes with Koch-Haaf carboxylation (formation of 1 -adamantanecarboxyUc acid). On the basis of results acquired by the reaction of 1,3,5,7-tetradeu-teroadamantane, formylation was interpreted by a-insertion of the formyl cation into the tertiary C-H bond [Eq. (6.47)]. 

The well characterized and stable surface phases observed on the Sn-Pt(l 11) have provided researchers in the chemisorption and catalysis field with a substrate of great interest for studying the properties of bimetallic interfaces. Simple probe gases such as CO have been studied after adsorption on this system [45] as well as a variety of organic molecules such as acetylene [46], cyclohexane and benzene [47, 48], butane and isobutane [49], methanol, ethanol and water [50]. Several surface reactions of the above gases were also studied. 

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