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Gerhard Ertl, J. Tornau

The Catalytic Decomposition of Formaldehyde on Palladium

Keywords: decomposition of formaldehyde, clean PD surface, thermal desorption

The decomposition of formaldehyde at a clean Pd surface (polycrystalline wire) was studied by mass spectrometry in a UHV flow system. H₂ and CO are the only reaction products which under steady-state conditions are already formed slightly above room temperature. Thermal desorption experiments revealed that hydrogen desorption takes place at higher temperatures than if present alone on the surface. Taking into account recent other measurements on the interaction of CH₂0 as well as on the coadsorption of H₂ + CO on Pd surfaces a reaction scheme is proposed whereafter desorption of the products is rate-determining. The desorption energy of H₂ is, however, increased by attractive interactions between H_ad and CO_ad.

Zeitschrift für Physikalische Chemie, Oldenbourg Wissenschaftsverlag

Print ISSN: 0942-9352
Volume: 104, 01/1977
Pages: 301 - 308

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