Kinetics and Mechanisms of Surface Reactions by Laser-Induced Desorption with Fourier Transform Mass Spectrometry

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Laser induced thermal desorption coupled with Fourier transform mass spectrometry is used as a probe of surface reaction kinetics in this project carried out with support from the Analytical and Surface Chemistry Program. Professor John Hemminger of the University of California, Irvine and his coworkers are using this method to address questions of hydrocarbon surface reaction kinetics and mechanisms. In particular, the effect of high concentrations of coadsorbed hydrogen on the initial C-H bond breaking step in the dehydrogenation of cyclohexane on Pt(111) is being explored. In addition, information about reactant overlayer configuration, and ensemble effects in hydrocarbon reactions on the platinum surface, is being obtained. This fundamental information provides a mechanistic understanding for important heterogeneous catalytic reactions. Desorption of reaction intermediates, followed by mass spectral identification of these species, is used to develop an understanding of surface reaction mechanisms in this project. The important reactions of hydrocarbons on well characterized platinum surfaces are the focus of this work, which provides fundamental understanding of catalytic reactions central to the chemical and energy production industries. The unique experimental capability in the Principal Investigator's laboratory allows a detailed description of the mechanisms and rates of these important reactions.