Infrared study of the adsorption of triethylamine at the rutile/vapour and rutile/heptane interfaces

Abstract

The non-dissociative adsorption of triethylamine on rutile involves the formation of hydrogen bonds between surface hydroxyl groups and triethylamine molecules and coordinative interactions between triethylamine and Lewis-acidic surface sites. There is no evidence for the Brønsted acidity of hydroxyl groups.

Dissociative chemisorption of triethylamine involves surface hydroxyl groups and generates adsorbed diethylamine, ethoxide ions and acetate ions as products. One type of hydroxyl group is completely unreactive towards triethylamine.