TY - BOOK ID - 8432280 TI - Steric Effects in the Chemisorption of Vibrationally Excited Methane on Nickel PY - 2012 SN - 3642276784 3642276792 9786613574121 1280396202 PB - Berlin, Heidelberg : Springer Berlin Heidelberg : Imprint: Springer, DB - UniCat KW - Chemical reactions. KW - Chemisorption. KW - Nickel catalysts. KW - Chemical reactions KW - Chemisorption KW - Nickel catalysts KW - Chemistry KW - Physical Sciences & Mathematics KW - Physical & Theoretical Chemistry KW - Stereochemistry. KW - Nickel. KW - Methane. KW - Methyl hydride KW - Atoms KW - Molecular asymmetry KW - Space arrangement KW - Chemistry. KW - Physical chemistry. KW - Chemistry, Physical and theoretical. KW - Catalysis. KW - Physical Chemistry. KW - Theoretical and Computational Chemistry. KW - Activation (Chemistry) KW - Chemistry, Physical and theoretical KW - Surface chemistry KW - Chemistry, Theoretical KW - Physical chemistry KW - Theoretical chemistry KW - Physical sciences KW - Alkanes KW - Manure gases KW - Biogas KW - Transition metals KW - Chemical structure KW - Isomerism KW - Polarization (Light) KW - Chemistry, Physical organic. KW - Chemistry, Physical organic KW - Chemistry, Organic UR - https://www.unicat.be/uniCat?func=search&query=sysid:8432280 AB - Bruce Yoder’s thesis outlines his investigation of the dissociative chemisorption of methane (CH4) on a nickel single crystal. In this work Bruce uses a molecular beam and infrared laser techniques to prepare methane in excited rovibrational states. The excited methane molecules are aligned relative to the target nickel surface. Bruce describes the discovery and exploration of a previously unknown steric effect in the dissociation reaction between a vibrationally excited methane molecule and a nickel crystal. From these studies we see that methane molecules are up to twice as reactive when the vibration is aligned parallel rather than perpendicular to the surface. This discovery will help guide the development of detailed predictive models of methane chemisorption, which in turn may lead to better catalysts for the synthesis of several industrially relevant chemicals, including hydrogen fuel from natural gas. ER -