Abstract
High resolution electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS) was used to study the oxidation of H 2CO by preadsorbed oxygen atoms on Ag(110). H 2CO reacted with O (a) upon adsorption at 100 K to give a product with intense symmetric and asymmetric OCO stretching modes at 960 and 1100 cm −1, respectively. These frequencies differed from those expected for adsorbed formate. Upon heating H 2CO (g) was evolved at about 225 K. EELS data taken after annealing to 225 K suggested the presence of an η 2-methylenedioxy intermediate (H 2CO 2 (a)) which dehydrogenated to give adsorbed, ordered formate (HCOO (a)) and H 2 (g) above 225 K. The overall stoichiometry combined with the EELS data strongly suggested a polymeric form of H 2CO at 100 K, probably paraformaldehyde. The decomposition to HCOO (a) was complete at about 250 K leaving only formate intermediates on the surface. The formate produced in this fashion was identical to ordered formate produced upon adsorption of formic acid on oxygen precovered Ag(110).
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