Direct Observation of Solvent-Reaction Intermediate Interactions in Heterogeneously Catalyzed Alcohol Coupling

The relative stability of reactive intermediates and reactants on a surface, which dictates the rate and selectivity of catalytic reactions in both gas and liquid phases, is dependent on numerous factors. One well-established example is secondary interactions, such as van der Waals interactions between the catalyst surface and the pendant group of the intermediate, which can govern reaction selectivity for coupling reactions. Herein, we directly show that interactions between adsorbed reaction intermediates and reactant molecules increase the binding energy and affects the geometrical arrangement of coadsorbed reactant/solvent molecules. Evidence for this effect is demonstrated for the oxidative coupling reaction of methanol on a single crystal gold (Au(110)) surface. The rate-limiting reaction intermediate for methanol self-coupling, methoxy, stabilizes excess adsorbed methanol, which desorbs as a result of beta-hydride decomposition of the adsorbed methoxy. Direct molecular-scale imaging by scanning tunneling microscopy, supplemented by density functional theory, revealed interactive structures formed by methoxy and coadsorbed methanol. Interactions between the methoxy intermediate and coadsorbed methanol stabilizes a hydrogen-bonded network comprising methoxy and methanol by a minimum of 0.13 eV per methanol molecule. Inclusion of such interactions between reaction intermediates and coadsorbed reactants and solvents in kinetic models is important for microkinetic analysis of the rates and selectivities of catalytic reactions in both the gas and liquid phases whenever appreciable coverages of species from the ambient phase exist.