10.1.3 Catalytic Gas-Solid Interactions
For the moment, let us focus our attention on gas-phase reactions catalyzed by solid surfaces. For a catalytic reaction to occur, at least one and frequently all of the reactants must become attached to the surface. This attachment is known as adsorption and takes place by two different processes: physical adsorption and chemisorption. Physical adsorption is similar to condensation. The process is exothermic, and the heat of adsorption is relatively small, being on the order of 1 to 15 kcal/mol. The forces of attraction between the gas molecules and the solid surface are weak. These van der Waals forces consist of interaction between permanent dipoles, between a permanent dipole and an induced dipole, and/or between neutral atoms and molecules. The amount of gas physically adsorbed decreases rapidly with increasing temperature, and above its critical temperature only very small amounts of a substance are physically adsorbed.
The type of adsorption that affects the rate of a chemical reaction is chemisorption. Here, the adsorbed atoms or molecules are held to the surface by valence forces of the same type as those that occur between bonded atoms in molecules. As a result, the electronic structure of the chemisorbed molecule is perturbed significantly, causing it to be extremely reactive. Interaction with the catalyst causes bonds of the adsorbed reactant to be stretched, making them easier to break.
Figure 10-3 shows the bonding from the adsorption of ethylene on a platinum surface to form chemisorbed ethylidyne. Like physical adsorption, chemisorption is an exothermic process, but the heats of adsorption are generally of the same magnitude as the heat of a chemical reaction (i.e., 40 to 400 kJ/mol). If a catalytic reaction involves chemisorption, it must be carried out within the temperature range where chemisorption of the reactants is appreciable.
Figure 10-3. Ethylidyne chemisorbed on platinum.
In a landmark contribution to catalytic theory, Taylor4 suggested that a reaction is not catalyzed over the entire solid surface but only at certain active sites or centers. He visualized these sites as unsaturated atoms in the solids that resulted from surface irregularities, dislocations, edges of crystals, and cracks along grain boundaries. Other investigators have taken exception to this definition, pointing out that other properties of the solid surface are also important. The active sites can also be thought of as places where highly reactive intermediates (i.e., chemisorbed species) are stabilized long enough to react. This stabilization of a reactive intermediate is key in the design of any catalyst. Consequently, for our purposes we will define an active site as a point on the catalyst surface that can form strong chemical bonds with an adsorbed atom or molecule.
One parameter used to quantify the activity of a catalyst is the turnover frequency (TOF), f. It is the number of molecules reacting per active site per second at the conditions of the experiment. When a metal catalyst such as platinum is deposited on a support, the metal atoms are considered active sites. The dispersion, D, of the catalyst is the fraction of the metal atoms deposited that are on the surface.
An example showing how to calculate the turnover number is given on the DVD-ROM/Web Summary Notes for Chapter 10.