Characterisation of the Ru/MgF2 catalyst with adsorbed O2, NO, CO probe molecules by EPR and IR spectroscopy

Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) and infrared (IR) spectroscopy were used to study the formation of ruthenium and adsorbed species appearing on the catalyst during O2, NO, and CO adsorption at room temperature on 1 wt% Ru/MgF2 catalysts prepared from Ru3(CO)12 . Both EPR and IR results provided clear evidence for the interaction between surface ruthenium and probe molecules. No EPR signals due to ruthenium (Ru) species were recorded at 300 and 77K after H2-reduction of the catalyst at 673K. However, at 4.2K a very weak EPR spectrum due to low-spin (4d5) Ru3+ complexes was detected. A weak anisotropic O2– radicals signal with g∣∣=2.017 and g⊥=2.003 superimposed on a broad (ΔBpp=120mT), slightly asymmetric line at g=2.45(1) was identified after O2 admission to the reduced sample. Adsorption of NO gives only a broad, Gaussian-shaped EPR line at g=2.43(1) indicating that the admission of NO, similarly to O2 adsorption, brings about an oxidation of Ru species in the course of the NO decomposition reaction. Introduction of NO over the CO preadsorbed catalyst leads to EPR spectrum with parameters g⊥=1.996, g∣∣=1.895, and A⊥N=2.9mT assigned to surface NO species associated with Ru ions. The IR spectra recorded after adsorption of NO or CO probe molecules showed the bands in the range of frequency characteristic of ruthenium nitrosyl, nitro, and nitrate/nitrite species and the bands characteristic of ruthenium mono-and multicarbonyls, respectively. Addition of CO after NO admission to the catalyst leads to appearance in the IR spectrum, beside the ones characteristic of NO adsorption, the bands which can be attributed to Ru–CO2 and Ru–NCO species, indicating that the reaction between NO and CO occurs. These species were also detected after CO adsorption followed by NO adsorption, additionally to the band at 1850cm−1 being due to cis–type species.