Isomer-Selective Detection of Aromatic Molecules in Temperature-Programmed Desorption for Model Catalysis

Anal Chem. 2016 May 17;88(10):5392-7. doi: 10.1021/acs.analchem.6b00717. Epub 2016 Apr 26.

Abstract

Based on three different molecules dosed on a Pt(111) single crystal the selectivity and sensitivity of REMPI-TPD in UHV is investigated for a potential application in heterogeneous catalysis. It is shown that the two structural isomers ethylbenzene and p-xylene can be discriminated by REMPI in a standard TPD experiment. The latter is not possible for the ionization with electrons in a Q-MS. It is further demonstrated by benzene TPD studies that the sensitivity of the REMPI-TOF-MS is comparable to commercial EI-Q-MS solutions and enables the detection of less than 0.6% molecules of a monolayer.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't