Dehydrogenation of Simple Hydrocarbons on Platinum Cluster Ions

Abstract

Reactions of size-selected platinum cluster ions, Pt n + ( n = 1−5), with small hydrocarbon molecules (CH 4, C 2 H 6, C 2 H 4, and C 2 H 2 ) were studied in a beam-gas cell geometry at collision energies less than 1 eV employing a tandem mass spectrometer. It was found that dehydrogenation of the hydrocarbon molecules proceeds exclusively on Pt n + and the absolute cross sections of the reactions depend critically on the cluster size, n, and the collision energy. The size- and the collision energy-dependent cross sections are successfully explained in an RRK framework.