ADSORPTION OF BIACETYL ON RH SIO2 CATALYSTS - AN FTIR STUDY/

Biacetyl (butane-2,3-dione) adsorbs to silica via H bonding. Splitting of the central C-C bond occurs on adsorption on Rh particles in Rh/Si O2 catalysts. The resulting surface-acetyl species seems to undergo ra pid decomposition even at temperatures below 300K and leads to the for mation of chemisorbed CO and methyl fragments. Based on the principle of microscopic reversibility, it is concluded that acetyl species may be formed under catalytic conditions from chemisorbed CO and methyl sp ecies by migratory insertion of CO into the metal-carbon bond of a che misorbed methyl fragment.