Lm. Ilharco et al., A comparative reflection-absorption infrared spectroscopy study of the thermal decomposition of 1-hexene on Ru(0001) and on Pt(111), SURF SCI, 459(1-2), 2000, pp. 115-123
l-Hexene was adsorbed on Pt(111) at low temperatures and its thermal decomp
osition studied by reflection-absorption infrared spectroscopy (RAIRS). The
behaviour on this surface is parallel to what was previously observed on R
u(0001), but occurring at temperatures similar to 150 K above. A mixture of
rotational conformers of hexylidyne was detected on both surfaces [at 100
K on Ru(0001) and at 250 K on Pt(111)], although in different proportions.
The decomposition path proposed for hexylidyne on Ru(0001), which involved
the formation of metallocycles, was confirmed on Pt(lll) by the positive ob
servation of two types of metallocycle. One is hydrogenated in C6 [Pt(3)dro
p C-(CH2)(5)-Pt],forms at lower temperatures (270 K) and is identified by t
he symmetric stretching mode of the methylene group attached to the surface
(at 2911cm(-1)). The other, completely dehydrogenated [Pt(3)drop C-(CH2)(4
)-C drop Pt-3], starts to form at around 370 K, and is identified by the an
tisymmetric stretching mode of methylenes on C3 and C4 and by the symmetric
stretch of methylenes on C2 and C5. It has been proved that the thermal de
composition of 1-hexene on these surfaces does not involve the formation of
ethylidyne (mu(3)-CCH3), in contrast with shorter 1-alkene chains on Ru(00
01). The different reactivities of the two surfaces towards C-H bond breaki
ng is analysed. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.