Molecular surface science of C–H bond activation and polymerization catalysis

Surface science studies of heterogeneous catalysis use model systems ranging from single crystals to monodispersed nanoparticles in the 1–10 nm range. Molecular studies reveal that bond activation (C–H, H–H, C–C, C≡O) occurs at 300 K or below as the active metal sites simultaneously restructure. The strongly adsorbed molecules must be mobile to free up these sites for continued turnover of reaction. Oxide–metal interfaces are also active for catalytic turnover. Examples using C–H and C = O activation are described to demonstrate these properties. Polymerization catalysis demonstrates a strong dependence upon catalyst surface structure, which allows for the selectivity to be tuned by the choice of Ziegler-Natta surface preparation. Novel preparation methods of model catalyst arrays in two and three dimensions are opening the door to a complete understanding of catalytic reaction selectivity.