PREPARATION AND REACTIVITY OF ALKYL-GROUPS ADSORBED ON METAL-SURFACES

Heterogeneously catalyzed reactions constitute the basis of most chemical and fuel technologies. The conversion of hydrocarbons in particular is at the heart of the refining of crude oil, the modification of fat in food industries, and the synthesis of pharmaceutical products and fine chemicals. Unfortunately, since catalytic processes are generally quite complex, little is known about the individual steps that take place at the molecular level in such systems. It is only recently that the advent of a variety of modern surface-sensitive instrumentation has made those studies feasible;1 the power of using such techniques in elucidating reaction mechanisms has been shown already in several key cases.2, 3. © 1992, American Chemical Society. All rights reserved.