Faraday communications. Influence of chlorine on the lability of small rhodium particles in carbon monoxide

Abstract

The reactivity to carbon monoxide of rhodium catalysts containing ca. 10 metal atoms per particle and supported on alumina has been studied by EXAFS. Particles in catalysts prepared with rhodium trichloride as precursor are labile, suffering almost complete disruption in CO and forming Rh^I species, as noted previously. By contrast, particles prepared from rhodium nitrate are stable in CO, indicating that chloride stabilises the Rh^I species.