Mechanism of H 2D 2 equilibration on potassium-graphite intercalation compounds

Abstract

H 2D 2 equilibration reaction was investigated on the lamellar graphite intercalation compounds, C 8K and C 24K. The catalytic activity of these compounds did not depend on the stage number which was a measure of the extent of potassium intercalation, but was concerned with the area of the surface parallel to the c axis of the host graphite crystallites. A computer analysis of the reaction-time course by the nonlinear least-square fitting method revealed that the reactions proceeded via the exchange between chemisorbed atoms and gaseous (or physisorbed) molecules. By combining these findings with the data of catalyst deactivation by O 2 or CO, the structure of active site and the catalytic behavior like that of electron donor-acceptor complexes were discussed.