The selective formation of CO and H
2 was observed by a molecular-beam catalytic reaction between
n-C
4H
10 and O
2 on a Pt surface from around 1000 to 1500 K. The infrared emission of the product CO desorbed from the surface showed that the CO molecules are vibrationally substantially excited but rotationally very cool (rotational temperature;
T
R = 360 K). The present molecular-beam study showed that CO and H
2 were formed directly from the hydrocarbon and O
2 without involving formation of CO
2 and H
2O as primary products. The implications of these results are discussed for the partial oxidation of methane (and other alkanes) to synthesis gas using practical supported metal catalysts.
Keywords Infrared chemiluminescence - molecular beam - partial oxidation - synthesis gas - infrared emission - vibrational excitation - rotational cooling