Title: Selective oxidation of CH/sub 3/OH to H/sub 2/CO on a copper(110) catalyst
Abstract: The oxidation of methanol to formaldehyde was studied on a Cu(110) single crystal by flash decomposition spectroscopy. The Cu(110) surface was preoxidized with oxygen-18; deuterated methanol, CH/sub 3/OD, was used to distinguish the hydroxyl hydrogen from the methyl hydrogens. Very little methanol chemisorbed on the oxygen-free Cu(110) surface, but the ability of the copper surface to chemisorb methanol was greatly enhanced by surface oxygen. This enhancement was absent subsequent to reduction of the surface by methanol itself. CH/sub 3/OD was selectively oxidized upon adsorption at 180/sup 0/K to adsorbed CH/sub 3/O and D/sub 2//sup 18/O. The methoxide was the most abundant surface intermediate and decomposed at about 365/sup 0/K to formaldehyde and hydrogen with a first-order rate constant equal to 5.2 +- 1.6 x 10/sup 12/ exp (-22.1 +- 0.1 kcal/mole/RT) s/sup -1/. To a lesser extent some methanol was oxidized to HC/sup 16/O/sup 18/O which subsequently decomposed to C/sup 16/O/sup 18/O and hydrogen with a first-order rate constant equal to 8 +- 2 x 10/sup 13/ exp (-30.9 +- 0.2 kcal/mole/RT) s/sup -1/. A pronounced maximum in oxidation activity with surface oxygen coverage was observed. 4 tables, 17 figures.
Publication Year: 1978
Publication Date: 1978-06-30
Language: en
Type: article
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Cited By Count: 1
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