MONOLAYER CHANNELLING MECHANISM IN THE PLATINUM CATALYZED GRAPHITE-HYDROGEN REACTION.

The catalyzed and uncatalyzed carbon-hydrogen reaction is an important reaction. Its application in the direct production of synfuels is obvious but possibly even more important is its application into the basic research of all catalyzed hydrogenation and dehydrogenation reactions. The powerful tool of Etch Decoration Transmission Electron Microscopy (EDTEM) coupled with the well defined structure and properties of graphite makes up an ideal system from which information on the molecular level may be attained. Using EDTEM it has been found that catalyst particles can start channeling from monolayer steps and from single vacancies on the graphite surface. Without etch decoration this channeling cannot be seen.