Chapter 8
Energetic Reactions with Hydrocarbons
8.1 Introduction
Cluster science has undergone an explosive growth in reactivity during the past
years, prompted both by basic chemistry to which studies of clusters may provide
new insight, and a vast array of applied areas to which clusters relate. Elucidating the
differences and similarities in the properties and reactivity of matter in the gaseous
compared to condensed state from a molecular (/cluster) point of view has been an
overriding theme of abundant investigations. Investigations of the chemical properties and the reaction kinetics have been particularly important in the subject of phase
transition where progress has been impeded for lack of fundamental data for comparison with molecular theories. Among the investigations involving the scattering of
high energy neutral and ionic particles from surfaces, clusters are often the observed
reaction products, related to studies of condensed phases and surfaces. Determining
factors that affect cluster size, stability and the mechanism of its formation provide
a basis for explaining the products of such reactions.
In this chapter we summarize the advances in studying the reactivity of metal
clusters and their oxides, mainly including transition metals of which the potential effectiveness, both as catalysts and catalytic supports, has undergone increased
scrutiny in recent decades due to their wide range of applications [1, 2]. Among the
extensive experimental and theoretical studies which were undertaken on transition
metals in catalyzing the chemical reactions of various organic molecules, the selective activation of chemical bonds such as C−C, C−H or C−O etc. plays a significant
role in optimizing synthetic schemes. The examination of gas phase reactions, by
avoiding the complications arising from solvent environments and crystalline forces,
has potential for elucidating details of transition metal catalytic activity and changes
in the reaction pathways as a function of cluster sizes [3–5].
© The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license
to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2020
Z. Luo and S. N. Khanna, Metal Clusters and Their Reactivity,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-9704-6_8
121
Energetic Reactions with Hydrocarbons
8.1 Introduction
Cluster science has undergone an explosive growth in reactivity during the past
years, prompted both by basic chemistry to which studies of clusters may provide
new insight, and a vast array of applied areas to which clusters relate. Elucidating the
differences and similarities in the properties and reactivity of matter in the gaseous
compared to condensed state from a molecular (/cluster) point of view has been an
overriding theme of abundant investigations. Investigations of the chemical properties and the reaction kinetics have been particularly important in the subject of phase
transition where progress has been impeded for lack of fundamental data for comparison with molecular theories. Among the investigations involving the scattering of
high energy neutral and ionic particles from surfaces, clusters are often the observed
reaction products, related to studies of condensed phases and surfaces. Determining
factors that affect cluster size, stability and the mechanism of its formation provide
a basis for explaining the products of such reactions.
In this chapter we summarize the advances in studying the reactivity of metal
clusters and their oxides, mainly including transition metals of which the potential effectiveness, both as catalysts and catalytic supports, has undergone increased
scrutiny in recent decades due to their wide range of applications [1, 2]. Among the
extensive experimental and theoretical studies which were undertaken on transition
metals in catalyzing the chemical reactions of various organic molecules, the selective activation of chemical bonds such as C−C, C−H or C−O etc. plays a significant
role in optimizing synthetic schemes. The examination of gas phase reactions, by
avoiding the complications arising from solvent environments and crystalline forces,
has potential for elucidating details of transition metal catalytic activity and changes
in the reaction pathways as a function of cluster sizes [3–5].
© The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license
to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2020
Z. Luo and S. N. Khanna, Metal Clusters and Their Reactivity,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-9704-6_8
121