Cyclotrimerization of acetylene to benzene on a Au-Pd surface

PETR 45

Kerrie K Gath, kgath@mail.chem.tamu.edu1, D. Kumar, dkumar@mail.chem.tamu.edu1, T. Wei1, C-W. Yi1, M-S. Chen, mschen@mail.chem.tamu.edu1, and DW. Goodman, Goodman@Mail.Chem.Tamu.Edu2. (1) Department of Chemistry, Texas A&M University, P.O. Box 30012, College Station, TX 77840, (2) Department of Chemistry, Texas A & M University, College Station, TX 77842-3012
Benzene is essential to our chemical industry and is currently utilized in the manufacturing of explosives, detergents, and pharmaceuticals. The most widely used process for the production of benzene is the reforming of naphtha, an energy intensive process. Cyclotrimerization of acetylene on Pd-based catalysts is a well-studied process. Bimetallic surfaces have the potential to improve the activity and selectivity of monometallic surfaces. Kinetic investigations of acetylene cyclotrimerization on Pd/Mo(110) and Au-Pd/Mo110) have been carried out using temperature programmed desorption and elevated pressure/temperature reaction conditions. The surface composition was measured by Auger electron spectroscopy, ion scattering spectroscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Infrared reflection absorption spectroscopy using CO as a probe shows the formation of Pd monomers isolated in an Au matrix. These sites are proposed to be the active site for the cyclotrimerization reaction on Au-Pd surfaces since the turnover frequency for the formation of benzene correlates directly with their population.
 

Division of Petroleum Chemistry Poster Session
8:30 AM-10:30 AM, Monday, 11 September 2006 Moscone Center -- Hall D, Poster

Division of Petroleum Chemistry

The 232nd ACS National Meeting, San Francisco, CA, September 10-14, 2006