By combining cyclic
voltammetry (CV) and shell-isolated nanoparticle-enhanced
Raman spectroscopy (SHINERS), the adsorption behavior of two alkynes,
propargyl alcohol (PA) and 2-methyl-3-butyn-2-ol (MeByOH), undergoing
hydrogenation on Pt basal plane single-crystal electrodes is investigated.
It is found that PA and MeByOH give rise to strong surface sensitivities
in relation to both hydrogenation activity and molecular fragmentation
into adsorbed species such as CO. For PA, irreversible adsorption
is strongly favored for Pt{100} and Pt{110} but is weak in the case
of Pt{111}. It is suggested that the presence of the primary alcohol
substituent is key to this behavior, with the order of surface reactivity
being Pt{100} > Pt{110} > Pt{111}. In contrast, for MeByOH,
strong
irreversible adsorption is observed on all three basal plane Pt surfaces
and we propose that this reflects the enhanced activity of the alkyne
moiety arising from the inductive effect of the two methyl groups,
coupled with the decreased activity of the tertiary alcohol substituent
toward fragmentation. Pt{111} also exhibits singular behavior in relation
to MeByOH hydrogenation in that a sharp Raman band at 1590 cm
–1
is observed corresponding to the formation of a di-σ/π-bonded
surface complex as the alkyne adsorbs. This band frequency is some
20 cm
–1
higher than the analogous broadband observed
for PA and MeByOH adsorbed on all other basal plane Pt surfaces and
may be viewed as a fingerprint of Pt{111} terraces being present at
a catalyst surface undergoing hydrogenation. Insights into the hydrogenation
activity of different Pt{
hkl
} surfaces are obtained
using quantitative comparisons between Raman bands at hydrogenation
potentials and at 0.4 V
vs
Pd/H, the beginning of
the double-layer potential region, and it is asserted (with support
from CV) that Pt{110} is the most active plane for hydrogenation due
to the presence of surface defects generated
via
the
lifting of the (1 × 2) to (1 × 1) clean surface reconstruction
following flame annealing and hydrogen cooling. Our findings are also
consistent with the hypothesis that Pt{111} planes are most likely
to provide semihydrogenation selectivity of alkynes to alkenes, as
reported previously.