Nonradical Surface Chemistry Mechanisms for Catalytic Nanoparticles.

Abstract

All radical-detecting methods using trapping agents, which are originally developed for homogeneous reaction systems, may not be applicable to systems with solid surfaces. This is because false radical signals can be generated in the presence of solid surfaces. An extra selectivity study following the trapping agent experiment may help in distinguishing between the true and false radical signals. Surface chemistry mechanisms are superior to free-radical mechanisms in not only correctly understanding the reaction selectivity previously reported for catalytic nanoparticles but also developing theoretical models for the computational design of solid catalysts in the future.