1997 Volume 18 Issue 7 Pages 417-423
The decomposition of the surface formate on Ni(110) was studied by temperature programmed desorption (TPD) and timeresolved infrared reflection absorption spectroscopy (TR-IRAS). It was observed that dehydration proceeded simultaneously with dehydrogenation. The rate-determining step of dehydration was found to be the C-H bond cleavage of formate as is the case of dehydrogenation by analysis of the kinetic isotope effect using HCOO(a) and DCOO(a). These results suggest that the rate-determining steps of dehydration and dehydrogenation are common. We propose a mechanism in which the CO2(a) species formed via the C-H bond cleavage of formate acts as the intermediate not only for dehydrogenation but also for dehydration; dehydration takes place by dissociation of the C-O bond of CO2(a).
