Methanol is oxidised in a selective manner to formaldehyde via the methoxy surface intermediate, but is combusted via the non-selective surface intermediate, the formate. I will report on the stability, formation, structure and active sites for this reaction on Cu(110), determined using a molecular beam reactor, TPD and STM. Only very particular sites are able to selectively oxidise methanol, and these are the three-fold coordinate oxygen sites, while the majority are four-coordinate.Copper is actually a relatively poor catalyst for methanol oxidation, and oxides have become commercialised for the reaction. The basics learned from surface science apply also to the reaction on the best of these oxides, iron molybdate (Fe2(MoO4)3), with methoxy and formate intermediates shown to be involved. I will describe our understanding of this reaction on the high area catalyst oxide surfaces, and the beginnings of work using surface science methods and oxide single crystals, trying to fabricate iron molybdate surfaces and to investigate their reactivity  .

Adventures in catalytic nanospace: The selective oxidation of methanol

248th National Meeting (2014)

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