Benzaldehyde selectively couples over reduced TiO2(110) to form stilbene, leaving behind new nano-scaled islands after desorption.  Tracking benzaldehyde molecules at 300 K using scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) showed no preference for bonding in surface oxygen vacancies.  Contrary to that expectation, we found that benzaldehyde instead forms dimer-sized reaction intermediates above the 5-coordinated titanium rows that are stabilized by subsurface titanium interstitials.  Upon heating to temperatures above 500 K, conversion of the intermediate into stilbene and subsequent desorption occurs in agreement with temperature programmed reaction spectroscopy (TPRS) data.  The surface is left in a corrugated state, and reorders further upon annealing to 850 K, leaving new nano-sized features that are attributed to TiO2 islands.?

Interstitial mediated coupling of benzaldehyde on reduced TiO<sub>2</sub>(110)

240th National Meeting (2010)

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Interstitial mediated coupling of benzaldehyde on reduced TiO2(110)

Interstitial mediated coupling of benzaldehyde on reduced TiO₂(110)