A Laser-Activated Membrane Introduction Mass Spectrometry Study of Proton Spillover Promoted Alkane Dehydrogenation.

ABSTRACT

Operando high-throughput evaluation of heterogeneous catalysts by laser-activated membrane introduction mass spectrometry (LAMIMS) elucidates the Pt loading dependence of methylcyclohexane dehydrogenation on platinized γ-alumina beads. A CO2 marking laser rapidly and sequentially heats catalyst beads positioned on a heat-dissipating carbon paper support that overlays a silicone membrane, separating the bead library reaction zone from a quadrupole mass analyzer. The toluene m/z peak varies logarithmically with Pt loading, suggesting that reactivity includes factors that are negatively correlated to Pt loading. These factors may include the Pt/γ-Al2O3 surface interfacial region as one component of a heterogeneous catalytically active surface area/mass. This work demonstrates LAMIMS as a broadly applicable high-throughput operando screening method for heterogeneous catalysts.