PULSE-CHROMATOGRAPHIC N2O TITRATION OF THE COPPER SURFACE-AREA ON CU-ZNO-MEOX CATALYSTS IN CONNECTION WITH THEIR HYDROGEN ADSORPTION

The reactive chemisorption of nitrous oxide on Cu-ZnO-MeOx catalysts for the hydrogenation of carbon monoxide to alcohols has been studied in connection with the investigation of their adsorption and desorption behaviour toward hydrogen. The applicability of the N2O reaction has been checked by combining the N2O titration of the copper surface areas with the CO titration of its oxygen coverage at different stages of hydrogen desorption. The results demonstrate that hydrogen included in zinc oxide after the activation of the catalysts by reduction with H-2 does not disturb the determination of the copper surface area by N2O-pulse titration. Hydrogen adsorbed on the surface of copper and zinc oxide can be desorbed completely in the elution step of the usual sample treatment. However, residues of it would cause an overdetermination of the copper surface area.