Time-resolved IR observation of a photocatalytic reaction of pivalic acid on platinized titanium dioxide

Abstract

Photodegradation of pivalic acid [(CH3)3CCOOH] on a Pt/TiO2 photocatalyst was studied by time-resolved IR spectroscopy in the microsecond-to-millisecond time region. A vibrational band due to t-butyl radical species, as a reaction intermediate, was observed at 1456cm−1 along with decrease of reactant, bridge-adsorbed pivalate, and product formation. The product did not have vibrational bands in the CC double bond stretch region, suggesting that the main product was isobutane instead of isobutene, which was the main product in the photoreaction of pivalate on the rutile TiO2 (110) single crystal.