Ceria catalysts are commonly used in many fuel related processes such as the water-gas-shift reaction, alcohol reforming, and fuel cell applications.  We have been systematically examining the adsorption and reaction of various oxygenated hydrocarbons as these functionalized molecules provide fundamental building blocks for understanding the reactions of more complex biomass materials.  The simplest polyalcohol, ethylene glycol, was studied on oxidized and reduced CeOX(111) thin film surfaces.  Unlike the analogous mono-alcohol, ethanol, the C-C bond in ethylene glycol cleaves on an oxidized CeO2(111) surface to produce formate intermediates.  Their subsequent reaction is similar to that of formic acid producing primarily CO and water.  Alternatively, on a reduced CeOX(111) surface one of the C-O bonds is broken producing an enolate intermediate (-O-CH=CH2).  This reaction pathway resembles that of acetaldehyde producing H2, ethylene, acetylene and acetaldehyde.

Model biomass conversion reactions on oxide surfaces: Ethylene glycol on CeO<sub>2</sub>(111)

242nd National Meeting (2011)

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Model biomass conversion reactions on oxide surfaces: Ethylene glycol on CeO2(111)

Model biomass conversion reactions on oxide surfaces: Ethylene glycol on CeO₂(111)