Quantification of hydrocarbon species on surfaces by combined microbalance-FTIR

Absorption coefficients for the asymmetric stretching modes of CH₃ and CH₂ groups formed by adsorbing alkyl chained species from the vapour phase onto two different adsorbents; a γ-alumina support material and a supported metal catalyst have been determined using a custom made thermogravimetric-infrared cell. Results show that despite variations in the individually calculated absorption coefficients (ca. ±20%), the ratio of the absorption coefficients (CH₂:CH₃) remained consistent despite employing adsorbates of varying chain length and functionality, and despite the choice of adsorbents which exhibited different surface areas and light scattering characteristics. The use of this absorption coefficient ratio has been shown to be applicable in the quantification of the average chain length of multiple adsorbed species of differing chain length. The potential for applying this to scenarios where reactions on surfaces are monitored is discussed.