Decomposition pathways of C1C4 alcohols adsorbed on platinum (111)

The adsorption and decomposition of methanol, ethanol, propan-1-ol, propan-2-ol and butan-1-ol has been studied on clean, and oxygen pre-covered Pt(111) surfaces. Temperature Programmed Reaction Spectroscopy (TPRS), Surface Potential Measurements (ΔV), UPS and XPS were used to characterise the adsorbed layer as a function of temperature. Each alcohol adsorbed into two states, a monolayer phase and a multilayer phase which were distinguishable by TPRS and Spectroscopy measurements. The monolayer alcohol adsorption heats increased sequentially from methanol to n-butanol (11.5–15 kcal mole^?1). On the clean surface, less than 10% of the adsorbed monolayer dissociated, with 90% of the alcohol desorbing intact. Two competing dissociative pathways were observed: complete dissociation to adsorbed CO, H and C, and with propan-1-ol and butan-1-ol, scission of the CC bond nearest the CO group to form adsorbed CO, H and ethylidyne and propylidyne species respectively. The latter reaction probability was constant at 30% for n-propanol and n-butanol. In all cases the final desorption products were the parent alcohol, CO and H₂ with carbon remaining on the surface for the higher alcohols. Atomic oxygen removed hydrogen from the alcohols as water but did not change the final reaction products.