DEHYDROGENATION OF FORMIC ACID BY CU3AU

The rates of dehydrogenation of formic acid on ordered and disordered forms of the alloy Cu3Au have been studied in the temperature range 460 ° to 650 °K at formic acid pressures of 760 torr, where the reaction is zero order in acid vapor pressure. No significant correlation has been observed between the experimental activation energy and the degrees of long- and short-range order in the alloy, although activation energies between 7.5 and 23 kcal mole-1 were detected. Activation energy changes were effected by heat-treatments; and a strong correlation between the activation energy of the reaction and pre-exponential frequency factor was observed, suggesting that active sites, possibly lattice vacancies, are important for the catalytic process. © 1969.