Temperature-programmed desorption metals

Studies to determine the nature of intermediate species have been made on a variety of transition metals, and especially on Pt, with emphasis on the Pt(lll) surface. Techniques such as TPD (temperature-programmed desorption), SIMS, NEXAFS (see Table VIII-1) and RAIRS (reflection absorption infrared spectroscopy) have been used, as well as all kinds of isotopic labeling (see Refs. 286 and 289). On Pt(III) the surface is covered with C2H3, ethylidyne, tightly bound to a three-fold hollow site, see Fig. XVIII-25, and Ref. 290. A current mechanism is that of the figure, in which ethylidyne acts as a kind of surface catalyst, allowing surface H atoms to add to a second, perhaps physically adsorbed layer of ethylene this is, in effect, a kind of Eley-Rideal mechanism. 

The SCR catalyst is considerably more complex than, for example, the metal catalysts we discussed earlier. Also, it is very difficult to perform surface science studies on these oxide surfaces. The nature of the active sites in the SCR catalyst has been probed by temperature-programmed desorption of NO and NH3 and by in situ infrared studies. This has led to a set of kinetic parameters (Tab. 10.7) that can describe NO conversion and NH3 slip (Fig. 10.16). The model gives a good fit to the experimental data over a wide range, is based on the physical reality of the SCR catalyst and its interactions with the reacting gases and is, therefore, preferable to a simple power rate law in which catalysis happens in a black box . Nevertheless, several questions remain unanswered, such as what are the elementary steps and what do the active site looks like on the atomic scale ... 

The scanning transmission electron microscope (STEM) was used to directly observe nm size crystallites of supported platinum, palladium and first row transition metals. The objective of these studies was to determine the uniformity of size and mass of these crystallites and when feasible structural features. STEM analysis and temperature programmed desorption (TPD) of hydrogen Indicate that the 2 nm platinum crystallites supported on alumina are uniform In size and mass while platinum crystallites 3 to 4 nm in size vary by a factor of three-fold In mass. Analysis by STEM of platinum-palladium dn alumina established the segregation of platinum and palladium for the majority of crystallites analyzed even after exposure to elevated temperatures. Direct observation of nickel, cobalt, or iron crystallites on alumina was very difficult, however, the use of direct elemental analysis of 4-6 nm areas and real time Imaging capabilities of up to 20 Mx enabled direct analyses of these transition metals to be made. Additional analyses by TPD of hydrogen and photoacoustic spectroscopy (PAS) were made to support the STEM observations. 

All of the Au/metal oxide catalysts deactivate quickly, under the conditions shown in Figure 4. In addition, the deactivation of the Au/metal oxide catalysts appears to be enhanced in the presence of COj. In support of the theory that increased basicity of the metal oxides leads to lower stability, we carried out COj temperature programmed desorption experiments on the various catalysts. The COj TPD data also confirmed that an increase in the basicity of the metal oxides leads to an increase in the amount of COj adsorption on the catalysts. 

Kariis, H., Westermark, G., Persson, I. and Liedberg, B. (1998) Infrared Spectroscopic and Temperature-Programmed Desorption Studies of Dimethylphenylphosphine Adsorbed on the Coinage Metals. Langmuir, 14, 2736-2743. 

Such a possibility has been recognized by early workers,9 but in spite of this intriguing possibility, only recently has such a metal surface been created. Chiral kink sites were created on Ag single crystal surfaces to produce the enantiomeric surfaces Ag(643)s and Ag(643)R however, no differences between (R)- and (S)-2-butanol were observed for either the temperature-programmed desorption from the clean surfaces or the dehydrogenation (to 2-butanone) from preoxidized surfaces.10 Unfortunately, Ag exhibits few catalytic properties, so only a limited array of test reactions is available to probe enantioselectivity over this metal. It would be good if this technique were applied to a more catalytically active metal such as Pt. 

Temperature programmed desorption studies of formic acid decomposition by metals was reviewed recently by Madix (7d) the significance of formate formation is paramount to the discussion. This is also apparent in the recent electron energy loss spectra of formic acid adsorption on Cu(lOO) reported by Sexton (77). 

In general, as the temperature is raised, increasing amounts of hydrogen are desorbed while the carbon atoms are retained by the surface. With the help of temperature-programmed desorption, it is possible to follow the evolution of the overall mean C H ratio of the residual species. Different surfaces of the same metal give different spectra at higher temperatures, and these in turn require different postulates for the surface species. 

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