The Interaction of K and O on Au(111): Multiple Growth Modes of Potassium Oxide and Their Catalytic Activity for CO Oxidation.

In industrial catalysis, alkali cations are frequently used to promote activity or selectivity. Scanning tunneling microscopy, ambient-pressure X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and density-functional calculations were used to study the structure and reactivity of potassium oxides in contact with the Au(111) surface. Three different types of oxides (K O , K O and KO with y<0.

Selective Methane Oxidation to Methanol on ZnO/CuO/Cu(111) Catalysts: Multiple Site-Dependent Behaviors.

Because of the abundance of natural gas in our planet, a major goal is to achieve a direct methane-to-methanol conversion at medium to low temperatures using mixtures of methane and oxygen. Here, we report an efficient catalyst, ZnO/CuO/Cu(111), for this process investigated using a combination of reactor testing, scanning tunneling microscopy, ambient-pressure X-ray photoemission spectroscopy, density functional calculations, and kinetic Monte Carlo simulations. The catalyst is capable of methane activation at room temperature and transforms mixtures of methane and oxygen to methanol at 450 K with a selectivity of ∼30%.

Surface characterization and methane activation on SnO/CuO/Cu(111) inverse oxide/metal catalysts.

To activate methane at low or medium temperatures is a difficult task and a pre-requisite for the conversion of this light alkane into high value chemicals. Herein, we report the preparation and characterizations of novel SnO/CuO/Cu(111) interfaces that enable low-temperature methane activation. Scanning tunneling microscopy identified small, well-dispersed SnO nanoclusters on the CuO/Cu(111) substrate with an average size of 8 Å, and such morphology was sustained up to 450 K in UHV annealing.

Water-promoted interfacial pathways in methane oxidation to methanol on a CeO-CuO catalyst.

Highly selective oxidation of methane to methanol has long been challenging in catalysis. Here, we reveal key steps for the pro-motion of this reaction by water when tuning the selectivity of a well-defined CeO/CuO/Cu(111) catalyst from carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide to methanol under a reaction environment with methane, oxygen, and water. Ambient-pressure x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy showed that water added to methane and oxygen led to surface methoxy groups and accelerated methanol production.

Growth and structural studies of In/Au(111) alloys and InO/Au(111) inverse oxide/metal model catalysts.

Indium oxide has received attention as an exciting candidate for catalyzing the CO hydrogenation to methanol due to its high selectivity (>80%). Compared to the extent of research on the activity of indium oxide-based powder catalysts, very little is known about the phenomena associated with the formation of surface alloys involving indium or the growth mechanism for indium oxide nanoparticles. In this report, scanning tunneling microscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) were employed to elucidate the growth mode, structure, and chemical state of In/Au(111) alloys and InO/Au(111) inverse model catalysts.

Morphology and chemical behavior of model CsO/CuO/Cu(111) nanocatalysts for methanol synthesis: Reaction with CO and H.

Cs is a promoter of Cu-based catalysts for the synthesis of alcohols from CO hydrogenation. Scanning tunneling microscopy and ambient-pressure x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy were used to study the morphology and chemical properties of surfaces generated by the deposition of cesium on CuO/Cu(111) and Cu(111) substrates. CsO nanostructures were formed after Cs metal was deposited on CuO/Cu(111) at 300 K.

Hydrogenation of CO on ZnO/Cu(100) and ZnO/Cu(111) Catalysts: Role of Copper Structure and Metal-Oxide Interface in Methanol Synthesis.

The results of kinetic tests and ambient-pressure X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (AP-XPS) show the important role played by a ZnO-copper interface in the generation of CO and the synthesis of methanol from CO hydrogenation. The deposition of nanoparticles of ZnO on Cu(100) and Cu(111), θ < 0.3 monolayer, produces highly active catalysts.

Relative Rate and Product Studies of the Reactions of Atomic Chlorine with Tetrafluoroethylene, 1,2-Dichloro-1,2-difluoroethylene, 1,1-Dichloro-2,2-difluoroethylene, and Hexafluoro-1,3-butadiene in the Presence of Oxygen.

Rate coefficients k1-k3 have been measured for Cl atom reactions with CF2═CF2, CFCl═CFCl, and CCl2═CF2 relative to k4 for CF2═CF-CF═CF2 at 293 ± 2 K. k4 was remeasured relative to Cl + ethane. Cl was generated by UV photolysis of Cl2, and other species were monitored by FT-IR spectroscopy.