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Direct Observation of Solvent–Reaction Intermediate Interactions in Heterogeneously Catalyzed Alcohol Coupling

Journal Article · · Journal of the American Chemical Society
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1021/jacs.2c02199· OSTI ID:1903509
 [1];  [2];  [3];  [4];  [2];  [5]
  1. Harvard Univ., Cambridge, MA (United States); Harvard University
  2. Tufts Univ., Medford, MA (United States)
  3. Harvard Univ., Cambridge, MA (United States); Brookhaven National Lab. (BNL), Upton, NY (United States). Center for Functional Nanomaterials (CFN)
  4. Univ. of California, Los Angeles, CA (United States)
  5. Harvard Univ., Cambridge, MA (United States)
The relative stability of reactive intermediates and reactants on a surface, which dictates the rate and selectivity of catalytic reactions in both gas and liquid phases, is dependent on numerous factors. One well-established example is secondary interactions, such as van der Waals interactions between the catalyst surface and the pendant group of the intermediate, which can govern reaction selectivity for coupling reactions. In this work, we directly show that interactions between adsorbed reaction intermediates and reactant molecules increase the binding energy and affects the geometrical arrangement of coadsorbed reactant/solvent molecules. Evidence for this effect is demonstrated for the oxidative coupling reaction of methanol on a single crystal gold (Au(110)) surface. The rate-limiting reaction intermediate for methanol selfcoupling, methoxy, stabilizes excess adsorbed methanol, which desorbs as a result of beta-hydride decomposition of the adsorbed methoxy. Direct molecular-scale imaging by scanning tunneling microscopy, supplemented by density functional theory, revealed interactive structures formed by methoxy and coadsorbed methanol. Interactions between the methoxy intermediate and coadsorbed methanol stabilizes a hydrogen-bonded network comprising methoxy and methanol by a minimum of 0.13 eV per methanol molecule. Inclusion of such interactions between reaction intermediates and coadsorbed reactants and solvents in kinetic models is important for microkinetic analysis of the rates and selectivities of catalytic reactions in both the gas and liquid phases whenever appreciable coverages of species from the ambient phase exist.
Research Organization:
Harvard Univ., Cambridge, MA (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES)
Grant/Contract Number:
SC0012573; SC0012704
OSTI ID:
1903509
Journal Information:
Journal of the American Chemical Society, Journal Name: Journal of the American Chemical Society Journal Issue: 38 Vol. 144; ISSN 0002-7863
Publisher:
American Chemical Society (ACS)Copyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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