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Molecular beam study of the catalytic oxidation of CO on a Pt(111) surface

Journal Article · · J. Chem. Phys.; (United States)
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.440029· OSTI ID:6789690

The oxidation of carbon monoxide catalyzed by Pt(111) was studied in ultrahigh vacuum using reactive molecular beam--surface scattering. Under all conditions studied, the reaction follows a Langmuir--Hinshelwood mechanism: the combination of a chemisorbed CO molecule and an oxygen adatom. When both reactants are at low coverage, the reaction proceeds with an activation energy E(/sub LH/ =24.1 kcal/mole and a pre-exponential upsilon/sub 4/ =0.11 cm/sup 2/ particles/sup -1/ sec/sup -1/. At very high oxygen coverage, E(/sub LH/ decreases to about 11.7 kcal/mole and upsilon/sub 4/ to about 2 x 10/sup -6/ cm/sup 2/ particles/sup -1/ sec/sup -1/. This is largely attributed to the corresponding increase in the energy of the adsorbed reactants. When a CO molecule incident from the gas phase strikes the surface presaturated with oxygen, it enters a weakly held precursor state to chemisorption. Desorption from this state causes a decrease in chemisorption probability with temperature. Once chemisorbed, the CO molecule then has almost unit probability of reacting to produce CO/sub 2/ below 540 K. The CO/sub 2/ product angular distribution varies from cos..gamma.. to cos/sup 4/..gamma.. depending sensitively upon the adsorbed reactant concentrations.

Research Organization:
Institut fuer Physikalische Chemie, Universitaet Muenchen, Sophienstrasse 11, 8000 Muenchen 2, West Germany
OSTI ID:
6789690
Journal Information:
J. Chem. Phys.; (United States), Journal Name: J. Chem. Phys.; (United States) Vol. 73:11; ISSN JCPSA
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English