Surface chemistry acidity

Evangelou, V. P. 1995. Pyrite Oxidation and its Control Solution Chemistry, Surface Chemistry, Acid Mine Drainage. CRC Press, Florida, 293 pp. 

The surface of activated alumina is a complex mixture of aluminum, oxygen, and hydroxyl ions which combine in specific ways to produce both acid and base sites. These sites are the cause of surface activity and so are important in adsorption, chromatographic, and catalytic appHcations. Models have been developed to help explain the evolution of these sites on activation (19). Other ions present on the surface can alter the surface chemistry and this approach is commonly used to manipulate properties for various appHcations. 

The corrosion of tin by nitric acid and its inhibition by n-alkylamines has been reportedThe action of perchloric acid on tin has been studied " and sulphuric acid corrosion inhibition by aniline, pyridine and their derivatives as well as sulphones, sulphoxides and sulphides described. Attack of tin by oxalic, citric and tartaric acids was found to be under the anodic control of the Sn salts in solution in oxygen free conditions . In a study of tin contaminated by up to 1200 ppm Sb, it was demonstrated that the modified surface chemistry catalysed the hydrogen evolution reaction in deaerated citric acid solution. 

This review will endeavor to outline some of the advantages of Raman Spectroscopy and so stimulate interest among workers in the field of surface chemistry to utilize Raman Spectroscopy in the study of surface phenomena. Up to the present time, most of the work has been directed to adsorption on oxide surfaces such as silicas and aluminas. An examination of the spectrum of a molecule adsorbed on such a surface may reveal information as to whether the molecule is physically or chemically adsorbed and whether the adsorption site is a Lewis acid site (an electron deficient site which can accept electrons from the adsorbate molecule) or a Bronsted acid site (a site which can donate a proton to an adsorbate molecule). A specific example of a surface having both Lewis and Bronsted acid sites is provided by silica-aluminas which are used as cracking catalysts. 

In a micro reactor, there is much more surface available than in standard reactors [18]. Thus, surface-chemistry routes may dominate bulk-chemistry routes. In this context, it was found sometimes micro-reactor routes can omit the addition of costly homogeneous catalysts, since the surface now undertakes the action of the catalyst. This was demonstrated both at the examples of the Suzuki coupling and the esterification of pyrenyl-alkyl acids. 

Surface science studies have generated much insight into how hydrocarbons react on the surfaces of platinum single crystals. We refer to Somorjai [G.A. Somor-jai. Introduction to Surface Chemistry and Catalysis (1994), Wiley, New York] for a detailed overview. Also, the reactions of hydrocarbons on acidic sites of alumina or on zeolites have been studied in great detail [H. van Bekkum, E.M. Flanigan and J.C. Jansen (Eds.), Introduction to Zeolite Science and Practice (1991), Elsevier, Amsterdam],... 

Acid-base reactivity is an important property of oxide catalysts, and its control is of interest in surface chemistry as well as being of importance in industrial applications. The exposed cations and anions on oxide surfaces have long been described as acid-base pairs. The polar planes of ZnO showed dissociative adsorption and subsequent decomposition of methanol and formic acid related with their surface acid-base properties[3]. Further examples related to the topic of acid-base properties have been accumulated to date[ 1,4-6]. 

A fundamental point in both molecular and surface chemistry concerns the involvement of donor atoms (from the ancillary ligand or the surface) in acid/base reactions.77 The reaction of H+ (from PyHCl) and Me+ (from MeOTf) with the anionic 1-metallacyclopropene 161 (Scheme 29) has been investigated. Although protonation gave back the starting material as the only product observed in solution ( h NMR), the reaction with MeOTf led to the neutral 1-metallacyclopropene, 162,... 

Carbon is inert in nature and has a high surface area, making it highly suitable as a support for catalysts. The surface characteristics and porosity of carbon may be easily tailored for different applications. Acid treatment is often applied to modify its surface chemistry for specific applications. Typically, active metal species are immobilized on carbon for catalytic applications. 

The surfaces of sorbent materials, e.g., oxide particles in soil, are often less complex than the exterior of protein molecules. However, if such particles are (partly) covered with organic materials, e.g., humic acids and/or fulvic acids, their surface chemistry may be very complex as well. Also, surfaces of biological structures, such as those of plant roots, may be heterogeneous. 

In this chapter, we have discussed the application of metal oxides as catalysts. Metal oxides display a wide range of properties, from metallic to semiconductor to insulator. Because of the compositional variability and more localized electronic structures than metals, the presence of defects (such as comers, kinks, steps, and coordinatively unsaturated sites) play a very important role in oxide surface chemistry and hence in catalysis. As described, the catalytic reactions also depend on the surface crystallographic structure. The catalytic properties of the oxide surfaces can be explained in terms of Lewis acidity and basicity. The electronegative oxygen atoms accumulate electrons and act as Lewis bases while the metal cations act as Lewis acids. The important applications of metal oxides as catalysts are in processes such as selective oxidation, hydrogenation, oxidative dehydrogenation, and dehydrochlorination and destructive adsorption of chlorocarbons. 

Kopping JT, Patten TE (2008) Identification of acidic phosphorus-containing ligands involved in the surface chemistry of CdSe nanoparticles prepared in tri-n-octylphosphine oxide solvents. J Am Chem Soc 130 5689-5698... 

The surface chemistry of coesite and stishovite was studied by Stiiber (296). The packing density of hydroxyl groups was estimated from the water vapor adsorption. More adsorption sites per unit surface area were found with silica of higher density. Stishovite is especially interesting since it is not attacked by hydrofluoric acid. Coesite is dissolved slowly. The resistance of stishovite is ascribed to the fact that silicon already has a coordination number of six. Dissolution of silica to HaSiFg by hydrogen fluoride is a nucleophilic attack. It is not possible when the coordination sphere of silicon is filled completely. In contrast, stishovite dissolves with an appreciable rate in water buffered to pH 8.2. The surface chemistry of. stishovite should be similar to that of its analog, rutile. 

Sposito G (1981) The thermodynamics of soil solutions. Clarendon Press, Oxford Sposito G (1984) The surface chemistry of soils. Oxford University Press, Oxford Sposito G, Martin Neto L, Yang A (1996) Atrazine complexation by soil humic acids. J Environ Qual 25 1203-1209... 

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