DECOMPOSITION OF TETRAHYDROFURAN ON MOS2 AND LIXMOS2

Chemisorption and thermal evolution of tetrahydrofuran (THF) on various MoS2 surfaces were studied by C-13 CP/MAS NMR spectroscopy. In all cases the adsorption is nondissociative at room temperature. On pure MoS2, decomposition of the adsorbed layer begins at 150-degrees-C, the initial reaction product being aldehyde. ON LiMoS2, reaction begins at a higher temperature, while on Li3MoS2 the initial product is chemisorbed butoxide. At high temperatures, the carbon from THF is converted entirely to small aliphatic hydrocarbons, CO2, and adsorbed aromatic residues.