Naphthalene Decomposition on Fe(110)─Adsorption, Dehydrogenation, Surface Carbon Formation and the Influence of Coadsorbed Oxygen

Authors

Lea Hohmann, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Sweden
Franzika Dahlmann, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Sweden
Giorgio Bruno Braghin, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Sweden
Léonie Laviron, Université de Toulouse
Layal Hussein, Stockholm University
Jakob Martinez, Stockholm University
Anton Harrer, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Sweden
Haley Robertson, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Sweden
Jona Guiborat, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Sweden
Xiaoming Hu, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Sweden
Jonas Weissenrieder, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Sweden
Klas Engvall, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Sweden
Jerry LaRue, Chapman UniversityFollow
Tony Hansson, Stockholm University
Mats Göthelid, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Sweden
Amirreza Ghassami, Lund University
Dan J. Harding, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Sweden
Henrik Öström, Stockholm University

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

1-27-2025

Abstract

Tar is an undesirable byproduct of biomass gasification, which can be removed through catalytic reforming to syngas components. Iron is a promising, abundant alternative to highly active but toxic nickel catalysts. The results observed so far in catalytic studies with iron have been mixed. In this paper, the decomposition of naphthalene, a representative model compound of tar, was studied on the catalytic Fe(110) surface using temperature-programmed desorption (TPD), sum frequency generation spectroscopy (SFG), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Napthalene adsorption, dehydrogenation and the formation of surface carbon were investigated, as well as the influence of oxygen. In comparison with previous studies on Ni(111), a similar dehydrogenation activity was found for Fe(110) with two main H₂ TPD peaks at 450 and 550 K. The reaction of naphthalene on Fe(110) resulted in the predominant formation of carbidic and atomically adsorbed carbon on the surface, which did not dissolve into the bulk even at high temperatures. A moderately carbon-covered surface was shown to still be active toward naphthalene decomposition. Similarly to Ni(111), large amounts of oxygen inhibited the reaction but, at low oxygen doses, very high hydrogen yields were observed, suggesting that Fe(110) could be a valid alternative for tar decomposition.

Comments

This article was originally published in Journal of Physical Chemistry C, volume 129, issue 5, in 2025. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jpcc.4c06619

Recommended Citation

Hohman, L.; Dahlmann, F.; Braghin, G. B.; Laviron, L.; Martinez, J.; Harrer, A.; Robertson, H.; Guiborat, J.; Hu, X.; Weissenrieder, J.; Engvall, K.; LaRue, J.; Hansson, T.; Göthelid, M.; Ghassami, A.; Harding, D. J.; Öström, H. Naphthalene Decomposition on Fe(110)─Adsorption, Dehydrogenation, Surface Carbon Formation and the Influence of Coadsorbed Oxygen. J. Phys. Chem. C 2025, 129, 5, 2441–2452. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jpcc.4c06619

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