Abstract
The thermal decomposition under H 2 of Fe 3(CO) 12 adsorbed on silica 500 has been followed by the above-mentioned techniques. Fe 3(CO) 12 is simply physisorbed on the silica surface at room temperature. Thermal decomposition occurs under H 2 at ≈ 100°C and is complete at $ ̃ 120°C. During this process CO (10 mol/mol cluster). CO 2 (0.25), CH 4(0.012) and C 2H 4 (0.005) are evolved in the gas phase. Simultaneously the iron from the cluster is transformed into mainly particles of metallic iron (35–85 Å) as well as iron carbide and Fe 2+. These metal particles appear to be loosely bound to the silica support (low apparent Lamb-Mössbauer factor). The results suggest that these particles of metallic iron or iron carbide are responsible for a Fischer-Tropschlike behaviour which transforms progressively the CO ligands of the starting cluster into CO 2 and hydrocarbons.
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