Adsorption of triallylamine on Si(111) and its coadsorption with triethylgallium – A combined HREELS and XPS study

The adsorption of triallylamine [(C₃H₅)₃N; TAA] on Si(111)-(7 × 7) under UHV conditions was studied by means of surface sensitive electron spectroscopy. The High-Resolution Electron Energy Loss Spectroscopy (HREELS) yields the spectrum of vibration modes of the adsorbed species. X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) gives insight into the chemical environment and the relative concentrations in the near surface region. The tertiary amine TAA physisorbes at room temperature without dissociation. Successive annealing steps induce the dissociation of the physisorbed phase at temperatures above 400°C. Further annealing leads to partial desorption of the allyl groups from the surface. At temperatures above 600°C the remaining allyl groups are fully dissociated. Hydrogen leaves the surface and nitrogen and carbon start to diffuse into the substrate. The surface chemistry of triallylamine adsorbed on a heated substrate behaves in a very similar way. The coadsorption of TAA with triethylgallium [(C₂H₅)₃Ga; TEG] in the temperature range between 500 and 800°C induces no significant change of the surface reactions. Only a small amount of gallium could be detected at the surface. The nucleation of GaN has not been observed, neither on Si(111) nor on Al₂O₃(0001) substrates.     

Well‐Defined Single‐Site Monohydride Silica‐Supported Zirconium from Azazirconacyclopropane

The silica‐supported azazirconacyclopropane ?SiOZr(HNMe₂)(η²‐NMeCH₂)(NMe₂) ( 1 ) leads exclusively under hydrogenolysis conditions (H₂, 150 °C) to the single‐site monopodal monohydride silica‐supported zirconium species ?SiOZr(HNMe₂)(NMe₂)₂H ( 2 ). Reactivity studies by contacting compound 2 with ethylene, hydrogen/ethylene, propene, or hydrogen/propene, at a temperature of 200 °C revealed alkene hydrogenation.     

Molecular mechanism of propane oxidative dehydrogenation on surface oxygen radical sites of VO<Subscript><Emphasis Type="Italic">x</Emphasis></Subscript>/TiO<Subscript>2</Subscript> catalysts

Minimum energy pathways of propane oxidative dehydrogenation to propene and propanol on supported vanadium oxide catalyst VO _x /TiO₂ were studied by periodic discrete Fourier transform (DFT) using a surface oxygen radical as the active site. The propene formation pathway was shown to consist of two consecutive hydrogen abstraction steps. The first step includes C_β–H bond activation of propane followed by the formation of a surface hydroxyl group V–O _t H and a propyl radical n-C₃H₇. This step with the activation energy E* = 0.56 eV (54.1 kJ/mol) appears to be rate-determining. The second step involves the reaction of the bridging O _b oxygen atom with the methylene C–H bond of propyl radical n-C₃H₇ followed by the formation of a hydroxylated surface site HO _t –V⁴⁺–O _b H and propene. The initial steps of the C–H bond activation during propane conversion to propanol and propene by ODH on V⁵⁺–(O _t O _b )^? active sites are identical. The obtained results demonstrate that participation of surface oxygen radicals as the active sites of propane ODH makes it possible to explain relatively low activation energies observed for this reaction on the most active catalysts. The presence of very active radical species in low concentration seems to be the key factor for obtaining high selectivity.     

Préparation,caractérisation et réactivité de l’acide 1-vanado-11-molybdo-phosphorique supporté sur des matériaux silicatés mésoporeux dans l’oxydation du propène

The H₄PMo₁₁VO₄₀ heteropolyacid (HPA) was supported at 30 wt.% by the dry impregnation method on HMS, CMI-1 and SBA-15 mesoporous materials. The state of the HPA and those of the supports were examined by nitrogen physisorption, X-ray diffraction, (DR) FT–IR and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopies, thermal analysis (TG–ATD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The effect of support on the catalytic behavior of H₄PMo₁₁VO₄₀ was studied in the propene oxidation at 350 °C. It was shown that the presence of H₄PMo₁1VO₄₀, modifies the textural properties of mesoporous materials (decrease of surface area) without destroying their structure. The interaction support–heteropolyacid leads to the formation of (SiOH²⁺)(H₃PMo₁₁VO₄₀^?) surface species more stable than H₄PMo₁₁VO₄₀ species and that appear to be the active sites in the propene oxidation.     

Thermal activation of typical oxidative dehydrogenation catalyst precursors belonging to the Ni−Mo−O system

NiMoO₄ obtained by calcination of precursors has been shown to be a very effective catalyst for oxidative dehydrogenation of propane into propene. Preparation conditions and thermal decomposition of two precursors have been studied by TG-DTA, HTXRD, FFT-IR, and thermo-desorption coupled to mass spectroscopy in order to determine their composition and to define the best treatment to favour the oxidative dehydrogenation process. The selectivity and activity for propane transformation into propene are very different depending on the nature of the precursor and of the active phases obtained after thermal activation. The more selective high-temperature β phase of NiMoO₄ has been obtained at a lower temperature (500°C) than previously reported (700°C).     

Catalytic properties of the VO<Subscript><Emphasis Type="Italic">х</Emphasis></Subscript>/Ce<Subscript>0.46</Subscript>Zr<Subscript>0.54</Subscript>O<Subscript>2</Subscript> oxide system in the oxidative dehydrogenation of propane

Ce_0.46Zr_0.54O₂ solid solution prepared using a cellulose template was employed as a carrier for vanadium catalysts of the oxidative dehydrogenation of propane. The properties of VO _х /Ce_0.46Zr_0.54O₂ catalyst (5 wt % vanadium) are compared with the properties of the neat support. The carrier and catalyst are studied by means of BET, SEM, DTA, XRD, and Raman spectroscopy. It is shown that the CeVO₄ phase responsible for the ODH process is formed upon interaction between vanadate ions and cerium ions on the surface of the solid solution. The catalytic properties of the catalyst and the support are studied in the propane oxidation reaction at temperatures of 450 and 500°C with pulse feeding of the reagent. It is found that the complete oxidation of propane occurs on the support with formation of CO₂ and H₂O. Three products (propene, CO₂, and H₂O) form in the presence of the vanadium catalyst. It is suggested that there are two types of catalytic centers on the catalyst’s surface. It is concluded that the centers responsible for the complete oxidation of propane are concentrated mainly on the carrier, while the centers responsible for propane ODH are on the CeVO₄.     

Comparative study of coke deposition on catalysts in reactions with and without oxygen

Two types of catalysts, i.e. Pt/γ Al₂O₃ and Cu/Na-ZSM-5, were used to investigate the catalyst activity and amount of coke formation on the spent catalysts. The reactions of particular interest were the hydrocarbon oxidation and the SCR of NO with and without O₂. Propane and propene were used as the hydrocarbon sources. The reaction conditions were as follows: reaction temperature =170–500°C, GHSV=4,000 hr⁻¹, TOS=2 hr, feed composition depending on each reaction, but the composition of gases were fixed as HC=3,000 ppm, NO=1,000 ppm and O₂=2.5%, using He balance. It was found that both the case of Pt/γ Al₂O₃ and the case of Cu/Na-ZSM-5, propene provided higher conversion and coke deposition than propane in the presence or the absence of O₂ and/or NO. For Pt/γ Al₂O₃ catalyst, in case of the absence of oxygen reactions, the propene conversion dropped more rapidly than the propane conversion. Finally the reaction of propene gave a lower percent of hydrocarbon conversion than the reaction of propane. Additionally, propene had a higher percent selectivity of coke formation for the reaction with the absence of oxygen, but propane had a higher percent selectivity of coke formation for the reaction with the presence of oxygen. For Cu/Na-ZSM-5, in the system with absence and presence of oxygen, the addition of oxygen caused a significant change in % coke selectivity. With the presence of NO_x, the percent conversion of both propane and propene decreased and that the % coke selectivity of propane decreased, whereas that of in propene increased.     

η3-Allylnickel alkoxides and their use as homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysts for the dimerization of olefins

η³-Allylnickel alkoxides {η³-C₃H₅NiOR}₂ (R = Me, Et, i-Pr, Ph, SiPh₃) may be activated by gaseous boron trifluoride (BF₃) to give active catalysts for the dimerization of propene in homogeneous phase. In CH₂Cl₂ at ?20 °C catalytic turnover numbers of 5000 mol propene(mol Ni)^?1h^?1 were measured. The nature of the OR group influences both the catalytic activity and the oligomerization product distribution. The ratio of methylpentenes to dimethylbutenes in the dimer fraction may be controlled by the presence of additional phosphine ligands at the nickel atom. The nickel alkoxide precursor was heterogenized on alumina to give {Al₂O₃}–O–Ni–(η³-C₃H₅). Subsequent activation using gaseous BF₃ generates a powerful heterogeneous olefin dimerization catalyst which converts 50 × 10³ mol propene (mol Ni)^?1 at ?10° to ?5°C in a batchwise process and 143 × 10³ mol propene (mol Ni)^?1 continuously to give 75% dimers and 25% higher oligomers. The solvent-free treatment of oxide supports, e.g. alumina or silica, with gaseous BF₃ produces strong ‘solid acids’. The activated hydroxyl groups on the support surface serve as effective anchor sites for organometallic complexes to form heterogenous catalysts. By reaction of Ni(cod)₂ with {Al₂O₃}O(BF₃)H or {SiO₂}O(BF₃)H, η¹, η²-cyclo-octenylnickel–O fragments may be fixed to the surface. In the absence of halogenated solvents, the resulting catalysts, e.g. {SiO₂}O–(BF₃)–Ni–(η¹, η²-C₈H₁₃), dimerize propene continuously at +5°C at the rate of 800 × 10³ mol liquid propene (mol Ni)^?1.     

Infrared study of UV-irradiated tungsten trioxide powders containing adsorbed dimethyl methyl phosphonate and trimethyl phosphate

The photodecomposition of dimethyl methylphosphonate (DMMP) and trimethyl phosphate (TMP) adsorbed on monoclinic WO₃ powders when irradiated by ultraviolet light (UV) in air, oxygen, and under evacuation was investigated using infrared spectroscopy (IR). The IR spectra show that DMMP decomposes into methyl phosphonate upon exposure to 254 nm UV for 2 h at room temperature in air. The same decomposition of DMMP occurs only at temperatures above 300°C without UV illumination. TMP differs from DMMP in that the photodecomposition product is not the same as the decomposition product obtained by heating above 300°C. Thermal decomposition leads to formation of a phosphate on the surface, whereas photodecomposition leads to the same adsorbed methyl phosphonate as found for the thermal or photodecomposition of DMMP. Since TMP does not contain a P-CH₃ bond, the formation of a methyl phosphonate on the surface after UV illumination involves a mechanism where CH₃ groups migrate from the methoxy group to the phosphorous central atom. No decomposition is observed at room temperature when DMMP or TMP adsorbed on WO₃ is irradiated under vacuum or in nitrogen atmosphere. Therefore, the photodecomposition of either DMMP or TMP adsorbed on WO₃ at room temperature does not involve a reaction with the lattice oxygen but rather a reaction with the oxygen radicals produced by the decomposition of ozone.     

Influence of H3PMo12O40/SiO2 thermal treatment on adsorbed forms of formaldehyde and formic acid

Effect of the H₃PMo₁₂O₄₀/SiO₂(P-Mo-HPA) thermal treatment on adsorbed forms of HCOOH and H₂CO has been studied by IR spectroscopy. On the sample pretreated at 150°C, HCOOH adsorbed mainly as hydrogen-bonded complexes. The HPA calcination at 350°C resulted in the formation of surface formates along with hydrogen-bonded complexes. This proves the formation of coordinatively unsaturated surface cations (Lewis acid sites) during HPA dehydration. Alteration of the surface composition due to dehydration was found to have a major influence on the H₂CO adsorbed forms.     

Free radicals in γ-irradiated poly-α-methylstyrene

Electron spin resonance (ESR) spectra were observed at ?160°C and at room temperature for γ-irradiated poly-α-methylstyrene. The spectrum observed at room temperature has been attributed to the radical species while that at ?160°C results from the same radical and superposition of the spectrum due to the radical ?H₂-C(CH₃)(C₆H₅)-. The radicals which are stable at room temperature could be used to graft vinyl acetate.     

Influence of Molybdenum on Ceria Activity and CO2 Selectivity in Propene Total Oxidation

A total oxidation of propene into CO₂ is obtained on pure ceria at 673 K. However, in the presence of molybdenum, propene can be partially oxidized at room temperature. The Electron Paramagnetic Resonance (EPR) indicates changes in the oxidation state of molybdenum occurring upon interaction with propene. It has been found that the concentration of Mo(V) influences the propene conversion. The interaction between propene and molybdenum leads to the formation of surface species that, depending on the strength of their bonding to the surface, can be decomposed to ethene or coke. These results have been confirmed by infrared (FTIR) study. The oxidation reaction of propene is in competition with that of coke or ethene deposit on the catalyst surface, which can explain the decrease of the catalyst activity and selectivity in the presence of high molybdenum loadings.     

Photoelectron spectra of the decomposition of ethylene on (110) tungsten

Photoelectron spectra, LEED patterns, and work function changes were obtained for ethylene adsorbed on (110) tungsten at room temperature, and with subsequent heat treatment. For saturated adsorption of C₂H₄ on (110) W at room temperature, features in the photoelectron spectrum were observed which are believed to be due to the C, HCC, and Cmetal bonds in an adsorbed species of the form C₂H₂. The work function decreased by 1.2 eV at saturation, but LEED showed no change from the clean surface pattern. Upon heating to ≈ 500 K, where hydrogen is known to desorb, the CH bond was broken, whereas the CC and Cmetal bonds remained. The work function increased, from saturation, by ≈ 0.6 eV and the LEED pattern exhibited a large diffuse background with no new spots. Upon heating to ≈ 1100 K the CC bond broke and the LEED pattern ordered into the characteristics carbon contamination pattern.     

Electron spin resonance study of ethylene–acrolein copolymer irradiated with ultraviolet light

When ethylene–acrolein copolymer was irradiated at ?196°C with ultraviolet light, a sharp singlet spectrum with a g value of about 2.001 was predominant. This spectrum is attributed to acyl radicals, which are produced by dissociation of a hydrogen atom from an aldehyde group. At the same time it is supposed that dissociation of formyl groups also took place to give alkyl radicals, CO, and H₂. The alkyl radicals reacted with CO molecules to give acyl radicals at ?78°C under vacuum. Peroxy radicals were produced when the sample irradiated at ?196°C in the presence of air was treated at ?78°C. The sample irradiated at ?196°C was warmed to near 0°C and an apparent singlet spectrum with a g value of about 2.004 was observed. This spectrum was tentatively assigned as due to free radicals of the type      

Two forms of chemisorbed sulfur on platinum and related studies

The effect of temperature on the potentiodynamic oxidation of adsorbed sulfur layers on platinum, obtained from H₂S or SO₂ was studied. The broad oxidation peak at 1.2–1.3 V observed at room temperature is resolved at 80°C. Two distinct peaks are observed at 80°C, oxidation peak I (at 0.97 V) corresponding to the weakly bound sulfur and oxidation peak II (at 1.10 V) corresponding to the strongly bound sulfur. Evidence is adduced to show that these two forms of chemisorbed sulfur are distinguished by the number of platinum sites they occupy. At elevated temperatures an extension of the hydrogen region was observed during cathodic charging in the presence of adsorbed sulfur. This phenomenon was found to be reversible with respect to temperature and does not correspond to a desorption of sulfur.     

The effect of burn-off on the adsorption of N<Subscript>2</Subscript> and Ar on a natural graphite

Adsorption-desorption isotherms of N₂ and Ar were measured at 77 K using samples of graphite that were partially burned off at 600 °C in O₂ gas saturated with water vapor at 25 °C. The amounts of adsorbed N₂ and Ar dropped drastically as the degree of burn-off increased. The isotherms all showed a steep rise, or step, in the amounts of adsorbed N₂ and Ar at a relative pressure of around 0.4. Moreover, the hysteresis was much narrower after burn-off than before. These anomalies can be explained by the presence of functional groups on the graphite that produce H₂O and CO₂ upon decomposition and in terms of pores on the surface of the graphite.     

Kinetics and modeling of the thermal reaction of propene at 800 K. Part iii. Propene in the presence of small amounts of oxygen

The thermal reaction of propene was examined around 800 K in the presence of less than 20% oxygen. At initial time, the production of H₂, CH₄, C₂H₄, C₂H₆, allene, C₃H₈, 1,3-butadiene, butenes, 3- and 4-methylcyclopentene, a mixture of 1,4- and 1,5-hexadienes, methylcyclopentane (or dimethylcyclobutane), 4-methylpent-1-ene, and hex-1-ene, was observed along with hydrogen peroxide, CO, and small quantities of ethanal and CO₂. Oxygen increases the initial production of hydrogen and of most hydrocarbons and, particularly, that of C₆ dienes and of cyclenes. However, the production of allene, methylcyclopentane (or dimethylcyclobutane), and 4-methylpent-1-ene is practically not affected. A kinetic study confirms the mechanism proposed for the thermal reaction of propene. Formation of allene, thus, involves a four-center-unimolecular dehydrogenation of propene, that of 4-methylpent-1-ene is explained by an ene bimolecular reaction while methylcyclopentane (or dimethylcyclobutane) probably arises from a bimolecular process involving a biradical intermediate. Other products arise from a conventional chain radical mechanism. A kinetic scheme is proposed in which chains are primarily initiated by the bimolecular step: C₃H₆+O₂→HO₂·+C₃H₅· which competes with the second-order initiation of propene pyrolysis. Since allene production is not affected by oxygen, it is concluded that allyl radicals are not dehydrogenated by oxygen; but they oxidize in a branching step involving allylperoxyl radicals; r. radicals other than methyl, and allyl are dehydrogenated according to the conventional process: r·+O₂→unsaturated+HO₂· and account for the production of a large excess of C₆ diolefins, methylcyclopentenes, and hydrogen peroxide, when r. stands for C₆H₁₁, the allyl adduct. Hydrogen peroxide gives rise to a degenerate branching of chains. Based on the proposed scheme, a modeling of the reaction is shown to account fairly well for the concentration-time profiles. Rate constants of many steps are evaluated and discussed. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Int J Chem Kinet: 30: 503–522, 1998     

Adsorption and Reactions of CHCl3 on Powdered TiO2

The adsorption and reactions of CHCl₃ on three commercially available TiO₂ powders have been investigated by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy in a gas‐solid reaction system. Probably, owing to the difference in surface morphology, CHCl₃ is weakly adsorbed on two of the three TiO₂ samples at 35 °C. But, as the more reactive TiO₂ is exposed to CHCl₃ at 35 °C, the surface is found to be covered with CHCl₃, HCOO, H₂O, and CO. In addition to these surface species, gaseous HCl and CO are generated at higher temperatures. Photoirradiation of CHCl₃ on TiO₂ in the absence or presence of O₂ causes the decomposition of CHCl₃. This photoprocess is enhanced in O₂.     

AES and LEED investigation of Al segregation and oxidation of the (100) face of Fe85Al15 single crystals

The surface segregation and oxidation behavior of Fe₈₅Al₁₅(100) were investigated by means of AES and LEED. Sputter cleaning of the surface causes preferential Al removal and leads to an Al depleted surface layer. The segregation of Al to the Fe₈₅Al₁₅(100) surface was studied in the temperature range from 300 to 800°C. At 375 to 400°C a weak c(2 × 2) LEED pattern is found. At temperatures in excess of 600°C thermodynamic equilibrium is approached very rapidly. At such temperatures Al segregation leads to a well-ordered (1 × 1) LEED structure with bright and sharp spots at a low background intensity. Oxidation at room temperature leads to disordered oxygen adsorption, whereas at 700°C a (6 × 6) superstructure is observed in addition to the matrix spots. This superstructure is attributed to the formation of a thin Al₂O₃ overlayer on the Fe₈₅Al₁₅(100) surface.     

Shock-tube study of thermal decomposition of propene in the presence of deuterium

The thermal decomposition of propene in the presence of D₂ was studied in a single-pulse shock tube in the temperature range of 1200–1400°K. The main decomposition products were methane, ethylene, allene, and propyne. Furthermore, deuterated species were observed of each product and of propene, with characteristic compositions that were dependent on propene conversion. Geometrical isomers of monodeuterated propene, as the result of H-D exchange, were analyzed by microwave spectroscopy. From these observations, the reactivities of n- and isopropyl radicals at high temperatures were determined. The former was found to be an intermediate of methane and ethylene and the latter was found to be responsible for the formation of the deuterated propene as follows: The rate constant ratio k_n/k_i was estimated to be 0.5–0.8, which was more than ten times greater than that obtained at room temperature. It was also found that allene or propyne was produced from allyl radicals and that acetylene was produced from vinyl radicals. In addition, the rate constant of the hydrogen abstraction by the hydrogen atom from C₃H₆ was found to be six times greater than that by the hydrogen atom from D₂.