Interest in the surface chemistry of late transition-metal (TM) oxides was originally stimulated by observations that the formation of metal oxide layers tends to dramatically alter the catalytic performance of transition metals in applications of oxidation catalysis. In this talk, I will discuss our investigations of the surface chemical properties of IrO2(110) structures, focusing on the activation and chemistry of light alkanes. I will discuss our studies of the growth of IrO2(110) layers, and our discovery of highly facile C-H activation of light alkanes (C1-C3) on IrO2(110) surfaces at temperatures as low as 100 K and the subsequent oxidation chemistry. I will present results showing that the controlled pre-hydrogenation of bridging oxygen atoms of IrO2(110) provides a way to enhance the selective conversion of ethane to ethylene, whereas this approach is ineffective for promoting propylene formation from propane. The exceptional activity of IrO2(110) toward alkane C-H bond cleavage, along with the ability to manipulate the subsequent oxidation pathways, may provide new opportunities for developing IrO2-based catalysts that are capable of directly and efficiently transforming light alkanes to value-added products.

Surface chemistry of rutile IrO2(110)

Macromolecular Chemistry: The Second Century

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ACS Spring 2020 National Meeting & Expo

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.