Imaging adsorbate O-H bond cleavage: methanol on TiO2(110).
We investigated methanol adsorption and dissociation on bridge-bonded oxygen vacancies of the TiO2(110)-(1x1) surface using in situ scanning tunneling microscopy. We provide the first direct evidence that methanol dissociates on oxygen vacancies via O-H bond scission rather than C-O scission. For CH3OH coverages lower than the oxygen vacancy concentration, stationary methoxy-hydroxyl pairs form. At CH3OH coverages close to the oxygen vacancy concentration undissociated mobile CH3OH interacts with methoxy-hydroxyl pairs and facilitates the movement of hydroxyl away from the methoxy group.
Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Center for Materials Chemistry, University of Texas at Austin, 78712, USA.
Zhenrong
Z
Zhang
Oleksandr
O
Bondarchuk
J M
JM
White
Bruce D
BD
Kay
Zdenek
Z
Dohnalek