Methyl nitrite adsorption as a novel route to the surface methoxy intermediate

John W. Peck, David E. Beck, Daniel I. Mahon, Bruce K. Koel

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

14 Scopus citations

Abstract

Surface-bound methoxy species are intermediates in a variety of surface processes, ranging from heterogeneous catalysis to advanced fuel cells, yet their chemistry on many metals remains elusive because of the difficulty of cleanly preparing adsorbed layers of these species. We propose that thermal dissociation of an adsorbed precursor, methyl nitrite (CH3ONO), can be used to produce methoxy species on reactive metal surfaces at low temperatures. On two Pt-Sn alloys, the methoxy intermediate is strongly stabilized (to 300 K) against thermal decomposition compared to Pt(111), where dissociation occurs at below 140 K, and there is a high selectivity to produce formaldehyde. These Pt-Sn alloys do not form the CO and H2 dissociation products characteristic of methoxy chemistry on Pt(111).

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)3321-3323
Number of pages3
JournalJournal of Physical Chemistry B
Volume102
Issue number18
DOIs
StatePublished - Apr 30 1998
Externally publishedYes

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • Physical and Theoretical Chemistry
  • Surfaces, Coatings and Films
  • Materials Chemistry

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