METHANOL OXIDATION TO FORMATE ON CU(110) STUDIED BY STM

We present an STM study of methanol oxidation to formate by co-dosing of oxygen and methanol onto Cu(110) at room temperature. Formate resul ts from the reaction of adsorbed methoxy and isolated oxygen adatoms g enerated during dosing. Methanol-rich gas-phase mixtures have the high est efficiency for formate production generating characteristic altern ating formate c(2x2) and O-(2x1) islands in the [001] direction. An ox ygen-rich gas-phase composition does not produce formate due to prefer ential growth of O-(2x1) islands. Formate production at 300 K during c o-dosing experiments contrasts with the case of sequential dosing as o xygen (2x1)-reconstructed Cu(110) surfaces are seen to have negligible activity toward formate production when subsequently dosed with metha nol at 300 K.