(412a) Kinetics and Spectroscopic Probes of the Surface Structure of Bi2O3 As a Selective Hydrogen Combustion Catalyst

We report combustion of H₂/CH₄, H₂/C₂H₄, H₂/C₂H₆, and H₂/C₃H₆ occurs on Bi₂O₃ with over 98% selectivity to hydrogen under anaerobic conditions, such that the metal oxide acts as a stoichiometric oxidizing agent for selective hydrogen combustion (SHC). Instantaneous metrics of rate and selectivity of lattice oxygen consumption can be determined from data acquired in a gradientless batch reactor. Hydrogen combustion rates are proportional to hydrogen partial pressure and bulk lattice oxygen content at all conditions signifying both absence of lattice oxygen diffusion as being kinetically-relevant and the role of molecular hydrogen in initiating reaction cascades that lead to SHC. These results detailing the kinetics of SHC as well as probe reactions employed to characterize acid/base characteristics of the surface and spectroscopic probes of surface and bulk structure of the as-synthesized and partially-reduced Bi₂O₃ materials will be discussed.