MOLECULAR APPROACH TO THE STUDY OF THE MECHANISMS OF ALKYL REACTIONS ON METAL-SURFACES

The surface chemistry of alkyl species adsorbed on solid transition me tal surfaces is contrasted here against the behavior of analog organom etallic systems. The several methods developed in recent years for the clean production of alkyl surface moieties on well characterized meta l surfaces are described, and the main decomposition pathways observed after thermal activation of those alkyl species, namely, elimination of both hydride and methyl groups from either the alpha or the beta po sition, reductive elimination processes related to hydrogenation and t o carbon-carbon coupling steps, and insertion, homolysis, and displace ment reactions, are discussed. A brief outlook on the future of this f ield is presented.