Understanding the surface chemistry of multifunctional alcohols is an important step in the development of biorefining catalysts, which can increase selectivity and decrease the costs of downstream separations.  In this work, surface science techniques were used to gain insight into the reaction mechanisms of 2-iodoethanol (ICH2CH2OH) and other alcohols on Pd(111).  The C-I bond of 2-iodoethanol is broken upon adsorption, forming hydroxyethyl (-CH2CH2OH) and surface iodine.  Our results suggest that iodine coverage influences the geometry of the hydroxyethyl intermediate and is correlated with a suppression of the complete decomposition pathway.  Similar effects were observed for other alcohols on iodine precovered Pd(111).  These results show that orientation and selectivity can be controlled by changing the availability of adjacent surface sites.

Relationship between adsorption geometry and reactivity of multifunctional alcohols on Pd(111)

244th National Meeting (2012)

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