This research project, in the Analytical and Surface Chemistry Program, will study the interaction of adsorbed molecules with heterogeneous catalysts, using solid-state deuterium NMR methods at high magnetic fields. Deuterium and various deuterated hydrocarbon molecules will be studied, adsorbed primarily on alumina supported platinum and rhodium catalysts. Questions concerning hydride exchange, C-H bond activation, charge transfer between adsorbate and substrate, and adsorbate mobility will be addressed. In addition, very high field low temperature studies of quadrupolar coupling constants will be carried out. An attempt will also be made to obtain an NMR spectrum for a monolayer adsorbed on a single crystal metal surface. %%% An understanding of the structure and reactivity of molecules adsorbed on the surface of catalytic materials is essential to the design and use of heterogeneous catalytic processes. This research program will develop powerful nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopic methods for the determination of the structure of adsorbed molecules on catalytic surfaces. This structural information will allow the design and understanding of catalytic systems crucial to the chemical industry and to pollution abatement technologies.
