We have used non-aqueous impregnation techniques to prepare an aluminum oxide surface covered with a well-dispersed magnesium oxide layer using magnesium acetylacetonate dihydrate [Mg(acac)2e2H20 ] as a precursor. Using lithium acetylacetonate as a precursor, we have begun attempts to prepare a similarly welldispersed surface layer of lithium "oxide." We have generated higher weight loadings of magnesium on alumina by using a Soxhlet extractor to dissolve the sparingly soluble Mg(acac)2e2H20 in methanol. With this device we are able to obtain loadings of MgO on the alumina up to 0.66 wt/wt%. The precursor samples were examined by diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy (DRIFTS) and our results indicate that the complex loses the water of hydration upon adsorption. It appears, however, that the initial form of the complex on the surface is as anhydrous crystallites. Heating the supported precursor under vacuum leads to "melting" of the crystals, which can be observed by DRIFTS. Decomposition of the precursor under nitrogen or air leads to very similar activity when adsorbing SO2. SO2 uptake appears to be independent of whether 0 2 is present in the gas stream or not. We have shown that SO2 adsorption increases with Mg-loading on the impregnated aluminas, with 0.85 additional molecules of SO2 adsorbed for each additional Mg atom (or MgO molecule) on the surface. We have shown that non-aqueous impregnation leads to :samples which are more efficient with regard to SO 2 uptake per magnesium atom than aqueous impregnation.

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Given these rather unsatisfactory results, we cannot use infixred diffuse reflectance spectroscopy to characterize the nature of the metal content and dispersion. We have had great success, however, in using infrared diffuse reflectance spectroscopy to characterize the adsorption and reaction of sulfur dioxide on alumina and allcalized aluminas wtchell, M. B.; Sheinker, V. R.; White, M. G. "Adsorption and Reaction of Sulfur Dioxide on Alumina and Alkalized .Aluminas -DRIFTS and TGA Results," to be submitted to Langmuir]. Therefore, the next progress report will contain the results of our initial studies of the adsorbed SO2 and NONO2 on these materials.

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