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Determination of the mechanism for ethylidyne formation from chemisorbed ethylene on transition-metal surfaces

Journal Article · · Journal of the American Chemical Society; (USA)
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1021/ja00194a014· OSTI ID:6971262
 [1]
  1. Univ. of California, Riverside (USA)

The effect of deuterium substitution has been studied in relation with the conversion of chemisorbed ethylene to ethylidyne on Pt(111). Thermal desorption (TDS) experiments with a 3:1 C{sub 2}D{sub 4}:C{sub 2}H{sub 4} mixture yielded traces for H{sub 2}, HD, and D{sub 2} that resemble those obtained with pure C{sub 2}H{sub 4} or C{sub 2}D{sub 4}, indicating that the reaction is intramolecular. Additional TDS using CHD=CD{sub 2} resulted in an enhanced H{sub 2} desorption at the expense of D{sub 2} for the first desorption peak, which is associated with the ethylidyne formation. Our recent kinetic data indicate that the reaction rate for ethylidyne formation displays first-order dependence on ethylene coverage and a normal isotope effect upon deuterium substitution. The TDS results with CHD=CD{sub 2} then prove that the hydrogen atom involved in the slow step for ethylene conversion is the same that desorbs from the surface first, so a mechanism that invokes ethylidene (S=CH-CH{sub 3}, S = surface) as an intermediate can be discounted. We propose the formation of vinyl (S-CH=CH{sub 2}) fragments instead.

OSTI ID:
6971262
Journal Information:
Journal of the American Chemical Society; (USA), Journal Name: Journal of the American Chemical Society; (USA) Vol. 111:12; ISSN 0002-7863; ISSN JACSA
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English