CHEMISTRY OF PERFLUORODIETHYL ETHER AND DIETHYL-ETHER ON THE TIO2 SURFACE

The adsorption and thermal decomposition of a perfluorinated ether and an alkyl ether have been studied on the TiO2 surface using Fourier tr ansform infrared spectroscopy. It has been found that the fully fluori nated ether, (C2F5)(2)O, physisorbed onto the TiO2 surface. As the sur face was heated to 500 K, it was found that the (C2F5)(2)O thermally d ecomposed to a surface fluoroacetate species at temperatures greater t han 200 K. The more acidic surface hydroxyl groups are permanently per turbed by the oxidation reaction, indicating interaction of the ether with the surface hydroxyl groups. The fully hydrogenated ether, (C2H5) (2)O, decomposed on the TiO2 surface to form a surface ethoxide at tem peratures greater than 150 K. The more acidic surface hydroxyl groups are involved in this chemical reaction and do not recover by 500 K.