The partial oxidation of olefins, such as ethylene and propylene, creates industrially important products that are used in a multitude of chemical fields ranging from food processing to polymer production to automotive chemistry. Olefin research is being conducted using metal/oxide model catalysts, as they have shown an affinity for high selectivity oxidation reactions. However, the fundamental interactions of olefins on these surfaces are not yet well understood. To gain a comprehensive understanding of olefin intermolecular and surface interactions, temperature programmed desorption (TPD) studies were conducted using Au(111)–based model catalysts with different surface preparations. Desorption kinetics of ethylene and propylene were studied on pristine, oxygen–covered, and titania–modified Au(111) surfaces. Reaction products were monitored using quadrupole mass spectrometry and the surface morphology was analyzed using ex-situ atomic force microscopy. The presence of titania was confirmed via X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. By understanding the characteristic behaviors with combined experimental techniques, active sites and reaction pathways for partial olefin oxidation over Au–based catalysts may be identified.

Olefin chemistry on Au(111)-based catalysts

256th National Meeting (2018)

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