Transition state for alkyl group hydrogenation on Pt(111)
Pingping Ye1, Andrew J Gellman
1Department of Chemistry, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213, USA.
Substituent effects on platinum surfaces influence hydrogenation barriers. Increasing alkyl group polarizability and fluorination degree raises hydrogenation energy barriers, indicating a cationic transition state.
Area of Science:
- Surface chemistry
- Catalysis
- Physical chemistry
Background:
- Understanding substituent effects is crucial for designing catalytic processes.
- The Pt(111) surface is a model system for studying surface reactions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate substituent effects on the hydrogenation transition state of alkyl groups on Pt(111).
- To correlate substituent properties with hydrogenation barriers using linear free energy relationships.
Main Methods:
- Dissociative adsorption of alkyl and fluoroalkyl iodides on Pt(111).
- Coadsorption with hydrogen followed by thermal desorption.
- Temperature-programmed reaction spectroscopy to measure hydrogenation barriers (ΔE(H)‡).
Main Results:
- Hydrogenation barriers increase with both alkyl group polarizability and degree of fluorination.
- A linear free energy relationship was established between substituent constants and ΔE(H)‡.
- Field reaction constant (ρF) = 27 ± 4 kJ/mol and polarizability reaction constant (ρα) = 19 ± 3 kJ/mol were determined.
Conclusions:
- The transition state for alkyl group hydrogenation on Pt(111) exhibits a slightly cationic character.
- Substituent effects significantly modulate surface reaction energetics.
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