Surface chemistry of CN bond formation from carbon and nitrogen atoms on Pt(111)

The mechanism of CN bond formation from CH3 and NH3 fragments adsorbed on Pt(111) was investigated with reflection absorption infrared spectroscopy (RAIRS), temperature-programmed desorption (TPD), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The surface chemistry of carbon-nitrogen coupling is of fundamental importance to catalytic processes such as the industrial-scale synthesis of HCN from CH4 and NH3 over Pt. Since neither CH4 nor NH3 thermally dissociate on Pt(111) under ultrahigh vacuum (UHV) conditions, the relevant surface intermediates were generated through the thermal decomposition of CH3I and the electron-induced dissociation of NH3. The presence of surface CN is detected with TPD through HCN desorption as well as with RAIRS through the appearance of the vibrational features characteristic of the aminocarbyne (CNH2) species, which is formed upon hydrogenation of surface CN at 300 K. The RAIRS results show that HCN desorption at approximately 500 K is kinetically limited by the formation of the CN bond at this temperature. High coverages of Cads suppress CN formation, but the results are not influenced by the coadsorbed I atoms. Cyanide formation is also observed from the reaction of adsorbed N atoms and carbon produced from the dissociation of ethylene.     

Reversible hydrogenation of surface N atoms to form NH on Pt(111)

The formation and dissociation chemistry of the NH species on Pt(111) was characterized with reflection absorption infrared spectroscopy and temperature programmed desorption. Irradiation of a chemisorbed bilayer of ammonia with a 100 eV electron beam at 85 K leads to a mixture of NH, N, and H on the surface. Annealing to temperatures in the range of 200-300 K leads to reaction of N and H to form additional NH. The NH species has an intense and narrow NH stretch peak at 3320 cm(-1), while no peak due to the PtNH bend is observed above 800 cm(-1). The NH species is stable up to a temperature of approximately 400 K. The surface N atoms produced from NH dissociation are readily hydrogenated back to NH by exposure of the surface to H2. However, NH cannot be further hydrogenated to generate adsorbed NH2 or to NH3 under the conditions used here. Exposure of the NH/Pt(111) surface to D2 at 380 K produces the ND species. Comparison with the results of density functional theory calculations based on small Pt clusters indicates that NH occupies three-fold hollow sites with the molecular axis perpendicular to the surface.     

Identification and hydrogenation of C2 on Pt(111)

Reflection absorption infrared spectroscopy (RAIRS) and temperature-programmed desorption (TPD) were used to identify the molecular species formed upon the reaction of hydrogen with surface carbon that is deposited by exposing acetylene to a Pt(111) surface held at 750 K. At this temperature, the acetylene is completely dehydrogenated and all hydrogen is desorbed from the surface. Upon subsequent hydrogen exposure at 85 K followed by sequential annealing to higher temperatures, ethylidyne (CCH3), ethynyl (CCH), and methylidyne (CH) are formed. The observation of these species indicates that carbon atoms and C2 molecules exist as stable species on the surface over a wide range of temperatures. Through a combination of RAIRS intensities, hydrogen TPD peak areas, and Auger electron spectroscopy, quantitative estimates of the coverages of the various species were obtained. It was found that 79% of the acetylene-derived carbon was in the form of C2 molecules, with the remainder in the form of carbon atoms. Essentially all of the acetylene-derived carbon could be hydrogenated. In contrast, 85% of an equivalent coverage of carbon deposited by ethylene exposure at 750 K was found to be inert toward hydrogenation.     

Influence of coadsorbed hydrogen on ethylene adsorption and reaction on a (radical3 x radical3)R30 degrees-Sn/Pt(111) surface alloy

The effect of surface-bound hydrogen adatoms on adsorption, desorption, and reaction of ethylene (CH(2)=CH(2)) on a (radical3 x radical3)R30 degrees-Sn/Pt(111) surface alloy with theta(Sn) = 0.33 was investigated by using temperature-programmed desorption (TPD) and Auger electron spectroscopy (AES). Preadsorbed H decreased the saturation coverage of chemisorbed ethylene and less H was required to completely block ethylene chemisorption on this alloy than that on Pt(111). This is also the first report of extensive H site-blocking of ethylene chemisorption on Pt(111). Preadsorbed H also decreased the desorption activation energy of ethylene on the alloy surface. The reaction chemistry of ethylene on this Sn/Pt(111) alloy is dramatically different than on the Pt(111) surface: the H-addition reaction channel taking ethylene to ethane on Pt(111) is totally inhibited on the alloy. This is important information for advancing understanding of the surface chemistry involved in hydrogenation and dehydrogenation catalysis.     

Transition state for beta-hydride elimination in alkyl groups on Pt(111)

The transition state for beta-hydride elimination in alkyl groups on the Pt(111) surface has been probed by studying the effects of fluorine substitution on the barriers to beta-hydride elimination, DeltaE++(betaH). Four different fluoroalkyl groups have been formed on the Pt(111) surface by dissociative adsorption of four fluoroalkyl iodides: RCH(2)CH(2)-I (R = CF(3), CF(3)CH(2), and CF(3)CF(2)) and (CF(3))(2)CHCH(2)-I. In the absence of preadsorbed hydrogen, fluoroalkyl groups on the Pt(111) surface dehydrogenate via beta-hydride elimination to form unsaturated fluorocarbons and deposit hydrogen atoms onto the surface. Those hydrogen atoms then hydrogenate the remaining fluoroalkyl groups to produce fluoroalkanes that desorb rapidly from the surface. The kinetics of hydrogenation and fluoroalkane desorption are rate limited by the beta-hydride elimination step and thus serve as measures of the kinetics of beta-hydride elimination. The field effects of the fluorinated substituents increase the barriers to beta-hydride elimination with a reaction constant of rho(F) = 19 +/- 2 kJ/mol. The interpretation of this effect is that the beta-carbon atom in the transition state is cationic, [RC(delta+...)H]++, with respect to the reactant. The field effect of the fluorinated substituent energetically destabilizes the electron deficient beta-carbon atom in the transition state. This is consistent with observations made on the Cu(111) surface; however, the substituent effect is significantly smaller on the Pt(111) surface. On the Pt(111) surface, the transition state for beta-hydride elimination is less polarized with respect to the initial state alkyl group than on the Cu(111) surface.     

Chemisorption of (CHx and C2Hy) hydrocarbons on Pt(111) clusters and surfaces from DFT studies

We used the B3LYP flavor of density functional theory (DFT) to study the chemisorption of all CH(x) and C(2)H(y) intermediates on the Pt(111) surface. The surface was modeled with the 35 atom Pt(14.13.8) cluster, which was found to be reliable for describing all adsorption sites. We find that these hydrocarbons all bind covalently (sigma-bonds) to the surface, in agreement with the studies by Kua and Goddard on small Pt clusters. In nearly every case the structure of the adsorbed hydrocarbon achieves a saturated configuration in which each C is almost tetrahedral with the missing H atoms replaced by covalent bonds to the surface Pt atoms. Thus, (Pt(3))CH prefers a mu(3) hollow site (fcc), (Pt(2))CH(2) prefers a mu(2) bridge site, and PtCH(3) prefers mu(1) on-top sites. Vinyl leads to (Pt(2))CH-CH(2)(Pt), which prefers a mu(3) hollow site (fcc). The only exceptions to this model are ethynyl (CCH), which binds as (Pt(2))C=CH(Pt), retaining a CC pi-bond while binding at a mu(3) hollow site (fcc), and HCCH, which binds as (Pt)HC=CH(Pt), retaining a pi bond that coordinates to a third atom of a mu(3) hollow site (fcc) to form an off center structure. These structures are in good agreement with available experimental data. For all species we calculated heats of formation (DeltaH(f)) to be used for considering various reaction pathways on Pt(111). For conditions of low coverage, the most strongly bound CH(x) species is methylidyne (CH, BE = 146.61 kcal/mol), and ethylidyne (CCH(3), BE = 134.83 kcal/mol) among the C(2)H(y) molecules. We find that the net bond energy is nearly proportional to the number of C-Pt bonds (48.80 kcal/mol per bond) with the average bond energy decreasing slightly with the number of C ligands.     

Platinum(II)-mediated coupling reactions of acetonitrile with the exocyclic nitrogen of 9-methyladenine and 1-methylcytosine. Synthesis, NMR characterization, and X-ray structures of new azametallacycle complexes

The hydroxo complex cis-[L2Pt(mu-OH)]2(NO3)2, (L = PMePh2, 1a), in CH3CN solution, deprotonates the NH2 group of 9-methyladenine (9-MeAd) to give the cyclic trinuclear species cis-[L2Pt[9-MeAd(-H)]]3(NO3)3, (L = PMePh2, 2a), in which the nucleobase binds the metal centers through the N(1), N(6) atoms. In solution at room temperature, 2a slowly reacts with the solvent to form quantitatively the mononuclear azametallacycle cis-[L2PtNH=C(Me)[9-MeAd(-2H)]]NO3 (L = PMePh2, 3a), containing as anionic ligand the deprotonated form of molecule N-(9-methyl-1,9-dihydro-purin-6-ylidene)-acetamidine. In the same experimental conditions, the hydroxo complex with PPh3 (1b) forms immediately the insertion product 3b. Single-crystal X-ray analyses of 3a and 3b show the coordination of the platinum cation at the N(1) site of the purine moiety and to the N atom of the inserted acetonitrile, whereas the exocyclic amino nitrogen binds the carbon atom of the same CN group. The resulting six-membered ring is slightly distorted from planarity, with carbon-nitrogen bond distances for the inserted nitrile typical of a double bond [C(3)-N(2) = 1.292(7) Angstroms in 3a and 1.279(11) Angstroms in 3b], while the remaining CN bonds of the metallocycle are in the range of 1.335(8)-1.397(10) Angstroms. A detailed multinuclear 1H, 31P, 13C, and 15N NMR study shows that the nitrogen atom of the inserted acetonitrile molecule binds a proton suggesting for 3a,b an imino structure in solution. In DMSO and chlorinated solvents, 3a slowly releases the nitrile reforming the trinuclear species 2a, whereas 3b forms the mononuclear derivative cis-[L2Pt[9-MeAd(-H)]]NO3 (L = PPh3, 4b), in which the adeninate ion chelates the metal center through the N(6) and N(7) atoms. Complex 4b is quantitatively obtained when 1b reacts with 9-MeAd in DMSO and can be easily isolated if the reaction is carried out in CH(2)Cl(2). In CH(3)CN solution, at room temperature, 4b slowly converts into 3b indicating that the insertion of acetonitrile is a reversible process. A similar metal-mediated coupling reaction occurs when 1a,b react with 1-methylcytosine (1-MeCy) in CH(3)CN. The resulting complexes, cis-[L(2)PtNH=C(Me)[1-MeCy(-2H)]]NO3, (L = PMePh2, 5a and PPh3, 5b), contain the deprotonated form of the ligand N-(1-methyl-2-oxo-2,3-dihydro-1H-pyrimidin-4-ylidene)-acetamidine. The X-ray analysis of 5a shows the coordination of the metal at the N(3) site of the pyrimidine cycle and to the nitrogen atom of the acetonitrile, with features of the six-membered metallocycle only slightly different from those found in 3a and 3b. In CD3CN/CH3(13)CN solution complexes 5a,b undergo exchange of the inserted nitrile, while in DMSO or chlorinated solvents they irreversibly release CH3CN to form species not yet fully characterized. No insertion of CH3CN occurs when the hydroxo complexes are stabilized by PMe3 and PMe2Ph.     

ZrO2催化剂上吸附CH3NO2的分解

用TPD和IR谱研究了CH_3NO_2在ZrO_2催化剂上的吸附活化和分解反应。结果表明,室温下CH_3NO_2在ZrO_2表面发生不可逆化学吸附,它们在TPD过程中可完全分解生成HCN、CO_2、CO、NH_3、H_2O和微量NO。其中H_2O和NO的脱附峰出现在383K附近。其它产物在543K附近出现极大值。IR结果表明,CH_3NO_2在ZrO_2上吸附形成诸如[CH_2NO_2],和/或吸附物种。这些吸附物种在升高温度时转化为表面态“HCN”。“HCN”或脱附,或进一步向表面“HCONH_2”和/或“HCOO~-”转化,后两种表面物种分解可产生CO_2、NH_3和CO。将这些结果与CH_3NO_2在SiO_2-Al_O_3和MgO催化剂上的结果进行了比较,讨论了酸-碱双功能性ZrO_2催化剂上CH_3NO_2活化分解的特点。     

Chemisorption and reaction characteristics of methyl radicals on Cu(110)

Methyl radicals are generated by pyrolysis of azomethane, and the condition for achieving neat adsorption on Cu(110) is described for studying their chemisorption and reaction characteristics. The radical-surface system is examined by X-ray photoemission spectroscopy, ultraviolet photoemission spectroscopy, temperature-programmed desorption, low-energy electron diffraction (LEED), and high-resolution electron energy loss spectroscopy under ultrahigh vacuum conditions. It is observed that a small fraction of impinging CH3 radicals decompose into methylene possibly on surface defect sites. This type of CH2 radical has no apparent effect on CH3(ads) surface chemistry initiated by dehydrogenation to form active CH2(ads) followed by chain reactions to yield high-mass alkyl products. All thermal desorption products, such as H2, CH4, C2H4, C2H6, and C3H6, are detected with a single desorption peak near 475 K. The product yields increase with surface coverage until saturation corresponding to 0.50 monolayer of CH3(ads). The mass distribution is, however, invariant with initial CH3(ads) coverage, and all desorbed species exhibit first-order reaction kinetics. LEED measurement reveals a c(2 x 2) adsorbate structure independent of the amount of gaseous exposure. This strongly suggests that the radicals aggregate into close-packed two-dimensional islands at any exposure. The islanding behavior can be correlated with the reaction kinetics and is deemed to be essential for the chain propagation reactions. Some relevant aspects of the CH3/Cu(111) system are also presented. The new results are compared with those of prior studies employing methyl halides as radical sources. Major differences are found in the product distribution and desorption kinetics, and these are attributed to the influence of surface halogen atoms present in those earlier investigations.     

SiO2—Al2O3和MgO催化剂上吸附CH3NO2的TPD和IR研究

用TPD和IR方法研究了CH_3NO_2在典型固体酸SiO_2-Al_2O_3和固体碱MgO催化剂上的吸附分解。结果表明,在SiO_2-Al_2O_3表面CH_3NO_2吸附转化为表面甲酰胺物种,后者在高温下分解为CO_2和NH_3。在MgO表面CH_3NO_2吸附形成多种表面化学物种,它们在升温过程中脱附,并通过表面亚硝基甲烷物种分解为NO、C_2H_4、C_2H_6和N_2O.讨论了CH_3NO_2分解过程中表面酸、碱中心的作用。     

The reaction of nitrogen atoms with methyl radicals: Are spin-forbidden channels important?

A computational study of the N(4S) + CH3 reaction has been carried out. The reactants approach through an attractive potential surface leading to an intermediate, H3CN, whose formation does not involve any barrier. In agreement with the experimental results, the dominant channel for this reaction is H2CN+H. The theoretically estimated rate coefficient for the overall process at 298 K is 9.1 x 10(-12) cm3 s(-1) molecule(-1), which is nearly 1 order of magnitude lower than the experimental result, but also much larger than those computed for the reactions of ground-state nitrogen atoms with halomethyl radicals. The analysis of the singlet potential energy surface, and the corresponding computational kinetic study, shows that for the reaction of excited nitrogen atoms with methyl radicals, the preferred product from the kinetic point of view is also H2CN+H, but in this case production of HCN is significant (with branching ratios around 0.185). According to our calculations, spin-forbidden processes are highly unlikely for the N(4S) + CH3 reaction. However, further evolution of the preferred products, H2CN+H, might explain the experimental observation of hydrogen cyanide as a minor product in this reaction.     

Comprehensive mechanism and structure-sensitivity of ethanol oxidation on platinum: new transition-state searching method for resolving the complex reaction network

Ethanol oxidation on Pt is a typical multistep and multiselectivity heterogeneous catalytic process. A comprehensive understanding of this fundamental reaction would greatly benefit design of catalysts for use in direct ethanol fuel cells and the degradation of biomass-derived oxygenates. In this work, the reaction network of ethanol oxidation on different Pt surfaces, including close-packed Pt{111}, stepped Pt{211}, and open Pt{100}, is explored thoroughly with an efficient reaction path searching method, which integrates our new transition-state searching technique with periodic density functional theory calculations. Our new technique enables the location of the transition state and saddle points for most surface reactions simply and efficiently by optimization of local minima. We show that the selectivity of ethanol oxidation on Pt depends markedly on the surface structure, which can be attributed to the structure-sensitivity of two key reaction steps: (i) the initial dehydrogenation of ethanol and (ii) the oxidation of acetyl (CH3CO). On open surface sites, ethanol prefers C-C bond cleavage via strongly adsorbed intermediates (CH2CO or CHCO), which leads to complete oxidation to CO2. However, only partial oxidizations to CH3CHO and CH3COOH occur on Pt{111}. Our mechanism points out that the open surface Pt{100} is the best facet to fully oxidize ethanol at low coverages, which sheds light on the origin of the remarkable catalytic performance of Pt tetrahexahedra nanocrystals found recently. The physical origin of the structure-selectivity is rationalized in terms of both thermodynamics and kinetics. Two fundamental quantities that dictate the selectivity of ethanol oxidation are identified: (i) the ability of surface metal atoms to bond with unsaturated C-containing fragments and (ii) the relative stability of hydroxyl at surface atop sites with respect to other sites.     

Removal of NO in NO/N2, NO/N2/O2, NO/CH4/N2, and NO/CH4/O2/N2 systems by flowing microwave discharges

In this paper, continuing previous work, we report on experiments carried out to investigate the removal of NO from simulated flue gas in nonthermal plasmas. The plasma-induced decomposition of small concentrations of NO in N2 used as the carrier gas and O2 and CH4 as minority components has been studied in a surface wave discharge induced with a surfatron launcher. The reaction products and efficiency have been monitored by mass spectrometry as a function of the composition of the mixture. NO is effectively decomposed into N2 and O2 even in the presence of O2, provided always that enough CH4 is also present in the mixture. Other majority products of the plasma reactions under these conditions are NH3, CO, and H2. In the absence of O2, decomposition of NO also occurs, although in that case HCN accompanies the other reaction products as a majority component. The plasma for the different reaction mixtures has been characterized by optical emission spectroscopy. Intermediate excited species of NO*, C*, CN*, NH*, and CH* have been monitored depending on the gas mixture. The type of species detected and their evolution with the gas composition are in agreement with the reaction products detected in each case. The observations by mass spectrometry and optical emission spectroscopy are in agreement with the kinetic reaction models available in literature for simple plasma reactions in simple reaction mixtures.     

C-N coupling on transition metal surfaces: a density functional theory study

We have investigated the formation of C-N bonds from individual atoms and single hydrogenated moieties on a series of transition metals. These reactions play a role in HCN formation at high oxygen coverage, also known as Andrussow oxidation, and they are fundamental to understand the ability of other materials to form part of alloys where Pt is the major component. Dehydrogenations take place quite easily under these high oxygen conditions and thus, the C+N, HC+N, and N+CH recombinations to form HCN or its isomer CNH might represent the rate-limiting steps for the reaction. For all the metals in the present study we have found that the activation energy for the reactions between H(x)C and NH(y) (x,y = 0,1) involved in C-N formation follow a linear relationship with the adsorption energy of the N atom. This is due to the common nature of all these transition states, where N-containing fragments get activated from three-fold hollow sites to bridge positions. The slopes of the linear dependence, though, depend on the valence of the N fragment, i.e., smaller slopes are found for NH moieties with respect to N ones.     

Kinetic Monte Carlo simulations of the interaction of oxygen with Pt(111)

The adsorption, dissociation, diffusion, and desorption of oxygen interacting with the Pt(111) surface have been studied using kinetic Monte Carlo simulations. This study has been motivated by uncertainties in the theoretical and the experimental derivations of O(2)Pt(111) reaction barriers. The simulations reproduce all known experimental data within basically one set of parameters, thus yielding microscopic insights into the elementary reaction steps occurring in the interaction of oxygen with Pt(111) and providing reliable estimates for adsorption energies and diffusion and desorption barriers. In particular, we confirm that the distance of oxygen atoms directly after dissociation is caused by ballistic hot atom motion rather than by diffusive motion. We address the equilibrium structure of oxygen atoms at high coverages. At low temperatures, chains of oxygen pairs are formed. We show that this mechanism can be explained by a lowered dissociation in the vicinity of already adsorbed atoms. Finally we discuss the role of the lateral interaction between the oxygen atoms in the oxygen desorption process.     

Disproportionation of O-methylhydroxylamine catalyzed by aquapentacyanoferrate(II)

The aquapentacyanoferrate(II) ion, [Fe(II)(CN)(5)H(2)O](3-), catalyzes the disproportionation reaction of O-methylhydroxylamine, NH(2)OCH(3), with stoichiometry 3NH(2)OCH(3) → NH(3) + N(2) + 3CH(3)OH. Kinetic and spectroscopic evidence support an initial N coordination of NH(2)OCH(3) to [Fe(II)(CN)(5)H(2)O](3-) followed by a homolytic scission leading to radicals [Fe(II)(CN)(5)(?)NH(2)](3-) (a precursor of Fe(III) centers and bound NH(3)) and free methoxyl, CH(3)O(?), thus establishing a radical path leading to N-methoxyamino ((?)NHOCH(3)) and 1,2-dimethoxyhydrazine, (NHOCH(3))(2). The latter species is moderately stable and proposed to be the precursor of N(2) and most of the generated CH(3)OH. Intermediate [Fe(III)(CN)(5)L](2-) complexes (L = NH(3), H(2)O) form dinuclear cyano-bridged mixed-valent species, affording a catalytic substitution of the L ligands promoted by [Fe(II)(CN)(5)L](3-). Free or bound NH(2)OCH(3) may act as reductants of [Fe(III)(CN)(5)L](2-), thus regenerating active sites. At increasing concentrations of NH(2)OCH(3) a coordinated diazene species emerges, [Fe(II)(CN)(5)N(2)H(2)](3-), which is consumed by the oxidizing CH(3)O(?), giving N(2) and CH(3)OH. Another side reaction forms [Fe(II)(CN)(5)N(O)CH(3)](3-), an intermediate containing the nitrosomethane ligand, which is further oxidized to the nitroprusside ion, [Fe(II)(CN)(5)NO](2-). The latter is a final oxidation product with a significant conversion of the initial [Fe(II)(CN)(5)H(2)O](3-) complex. The side reaction partially blocks the Fe(II)-aqua active site, though complete inhibition is not achieved because the radical path evolves faster than the formation rates of the Fe(II)-NO(+) bonds.     

Bonding and structure of glycine on ordered Al2O3 film surfaces

The interaction between glycine (NH2CH2COOH) layers and an ultrathin Al2O3 film grown epitaxially onto NiAl(110) was studied by temperature-programmed desorption, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy, work function measurements, and near-edge X-ray absorption fine structure (NEXAFS) spectroscopy. At monolayer coverages at 110 K, there are two coexisting molecular forms: the anionic (NH2CH2COO-) and the zwitterionic form (NH3+CH2COO-) of glycine. As deduced from the photoemission data, the buildup of multilayers at 110 K leads to a condensed phase predominantly in the zwitterionic state. In contrast to the monolayer at 110 K, the monolayer formed at 300 K consists primarily of glycine molecules in the anionic state. The latter species is adsorbed with the oxygen atoms of the carboxylic group pointing toward the substrate. The polarization-dependent C K- and O K-edge NEXAFS spectra indicate that the glycinate species in the monolayer at 300 K is oriented nearly perpendicular to the surface, with the amino group pointing away from the surface.     

Mechanism of OH radical reactions with HCN and CH3CN: OH regeneration in the presence of O2

A theoretical study on the mechanism of the OH reactions with HCN and CH(3)CN, in the presence of O2, is presented. Optimum geometries and frequencies have been computed at BHandHLYP/6-311++G(2d,2p) level of theory for all stationary points. Energy values have been improved by single-point calculations at the above geometries using CCSD(T)/6-311++G(2d,2p). The initial attack of OH to HCN was found to lead only to the formation of the HC(OH)N adduct, while for CH(3)CN similar proportions of CH(2)CN and CH(3)C(OH)N are expected. A four-step mechanism has been proposed to explain the OH regeneration, experimentally observed for OH + CH(3)CN reaction, when carried out in the presence of O2. The mechanism steps are as follows: (1) OH addition to the C atom in the CN group, (2) O2 addition to the N atom, (3) an intramolecular H migration from OH to OO, and (4) OH elimination. This mechanism is in line with the one independently proposed by Wine et al. for HCN. The results obtained here suggest that for the OH + HCN reaction, the OH regeneration might occur even in larger extension than for OH + CH(3)CN reaction. The agreement between the calculated data and the available experimental evidence on the studied reactions seems to validate the mechanism proposed here.     

N1 and N3 linkage isomers of neutral and deprotonated cytosine with trans-[(CH3NH2)2PtII

A series of complexes obtained from the reaction of trans-[(CH3NH2)2PtII] with unsubstituted cytosine (CH) and its anion (C), respectively, has been prepared and isolated or detected in solution: trans-[Pt(CH3NH2)2(CH-N3)Cl]Cl.H2O (1), trans-[Pt(CH3NH2)2(CH-N3)2](ClO4)2 (1a), trans-[Pt(CH3NH2)2(C-N3)2].2H2O (1b), trans-[Pt(CH3NH2)2(CH-N3)2](ClO4)(2).2DMSO (1c), trans-[Pt(CH3NH2)2(CH-N1)2] (NO3)(2).3H2O (2a), trans-[Pt(CH3NH2)2(C-N1)2].2H2O (2b), trans-[Pt(CH3NH2)2(CH-N1)(CH-N3)](ClO4)2 (3a), trans-[Pt(CH3NH2)2(C-N1)(C-N3)] (3b), and trans-[Pt(CH3NH2)2(N1-CN3)(N3-C-N1)Cu(OH)]ClO(4).1.2H2O (4). X-ray crystal structures of all these compounds, except 3a and 3b, are reported. Complex 2a is of particular interest in that it contains the rarer of the two 2-oxo-4-amino tautomer forms of cytosine, namely that with the N3 position protonated. Since the effect of PtII on the geometry of the nucleobase is minimal, bond lengths and angles of CH in 2a reflect, to a first approximation, those of the free rare tautomer. Compared to the preferred 2-oxo-4-amino tautomer (N1 site protonated) of CH, the rare tautomer in 2a differs particularly in internal ring angles (7-11 sigma). Formation of compounds containing the rare CH tautomers on a preparative scale can be achieved by a detour (reaction of PtII with the cytosine anion, followed by cytosine reprotonation) or by linkage isomerization (N3-->N1) under alkaline reaction conditions. Surprisingly, in water and over a wide pH range, N1 linkage isomers (3a, 2a) form in considerably higher amounts than can be expected on the basis of the tautomer equilibrium. This is particularly true for the pH range in which the cytosine is present as a neutral species and implies that complexation of the minor tautomer is considerably promoted. Deprotonation of the rare CH tautomers in 2a occurs with pKa values of 6.07 +/- 0.18 (1 sigma) and 7.09 +/- 0.11 (1 sigma). This value compares with pKa 9.06 +/- 0.09 (1 sigma) (average of both ligands) in 1a.     

Methane dissociative adsorption on the Pt(111) surface over the 300-500 K temperature and 1-10 Torr pressure ranges

The dissociative adsorption of methane on the Pt(111) surface has been investigated and characterized over the 1-10 Torr pressure and 300-500 K temperature ranges using sum frequency generation (SFG) vibrational spectroscopy and Auger electron spectroscopy (AES). At a reaction temperature of 300 K and a pressure of 1 Torr, C-H bond dissociation occurs in methane on the Pt(111) surface to produce adsorbed methyl (CH(3)) groups, carbon, and hydrogen. SFG results suggest that C-C coupling occurs at higher reaction temperatures and pressures. At 400 K, methyl groups react with adsorbed C to form ethylidyne (C(2)H(3)), which dehydrogenates at 500 K to form ethynyl (C(2)H) and methylidyne (CH) species, as shown by SFG. By 600 K, all of the ethylidyne has reacted to form the dissociation products ethynyl and methylidyne. Calculated C-H bond dissociation probabilities for methane, determined by carbon deposition measured by AES, are in the 10(-8) range and increase with increasing reaction temperature. A mechanism has been developed and is compared with conclusions from other experimental and theoretical studies using single crystals.