A HIGH-PRESSURE, HIGH-TEMPERATURE INFRARED STUDY OF CO HYDROGENATION OVER RH ZRO2/

A Rh/ZrO2 catalyst has been studied in the hydrogenation of CO in an i n situ IR cell operating at high temperature and pressure, and using F TIR to follow the formation of surface and gas phase species as a func tion of reaction time. The reaction between CO and hydrogen was studie d by varying the catalyst reduction temperature, reaction temperature, total pressure and hydrogen/CO ratio. Surface species identified were carbonyls on the rhodium surface, formates, carbonates and hydrocarbo ns. The relationship between adsorbed carbonate and formate is discuss ed in detail.