Double-bond activation in unsaturated aldehydes: conversion / of acrolein to propene and ketene on Pt 111 surfaces

Abstract The surface chemistry of acrolein on Pt(111) single-crystal surfaces was investigated under vacuum by temperature-programmed desorption (TPD) and reflection–absorption infrared spectroscopies (RAIRS). The main thermal decomposition path is via the decarbonylation of the unsaturated aldehyde to carbon monoxide and ethene, but it was found that small amounts of propene and ketene (CH 2 CO) are also formed by following steps unprecedented in metal-based chemical systems.