An in situ photoemission study of the dehydrogenation reaction of methanol on Ni(1 0 0)

Making use of the high intensity and resolution of synchrotron radiation at MAX-II (Sweden) we studied the dehydrogenation reaction of methanol on Ni(1 0 0) as a function of temperature by core level photoelectron spectroscopy. The temperature was increased linearly from 105 to 425 K with a heating rate of 0.06 K s−1. Measurement times of 60 s per C 1s spectrum allowed the dehydrogenation reaction to be monitored in situ. The different binding energies of the core level characteristic of different adsorbed species are reported. After exposure at 105 K, the C 1s spectra exhibit two peaks, representing methanol in multilayer and monolayer states. Above 160 K the multilayer is completely desorbed and methanol from the monolayer starts to dehydrogenate to form a methoxy species which decomposes above 240 K to carbon monoxide adsorbed in the bridge site. The onset of the on-top site occupation is observed at 270 K. The data suggests conversion from bridge to on-top site CO around 290 K. Our results show good agreement with literature values from temperature programmed desorption and Fourier transform infra-red experiments and provide new information in the form of quantitative data on the decomposition pathway of methanol adsorbed on Ni(1 0 0).