State-resolved probes of methane dissociation dynamics

A new generation of experimental techniques quantifies the gas surface reactivity of polyatomic reactants prepared in a single quantum state. These experiments eliminate internal state averaging and permit reactivity measurements on molecules with well-defined internal and translational energy. Varying the identity of the selected vibrational and rotational state and the molecule's translational energy reveals how energy in specific energetic coordinates promotes reaction. When applied to methane's dissociative chemisorption, which is rate-limiting in the industrial steam reforming reaction, these experiments reveal the molecular basis for activation, and they provide detailed insight into energy flow dynamics prior to reaction. This review will focus on experiments that quantify the reactivity of methane prepared in select rovibrational quantum states via optical excitation in a supersonic molecular beam. An overview will provide context, and a survey of experimental methods will emphasize features unique to these experiments. A presentation and discussion of state-resolved beam-surface scattering studies of methane activation on Ni(111), Ni(100), and Pt(111) will highlight the mechanistic and dynamical insights that such studies can provide. For example, while C-H stretching excitation best promotes transition state access on Ni(111) and Ni(100), bending excitation also activates dissociation, suggesting that many different energetic coordinates contribute to reactivity. Among those states studied, non-statistical behavior, including vibrational mode-specific and even bond-selective chemistry, is widespread, which indicates that the assumptions underlying statistical rate theories do not apply to this reaction. We examine the relevant timescales for energy exchange and reaction to provide a plausible explanation for the observation of non-statistical behavior. Finally, we suggest how these methods, and the results they have produced, might guide future work in the field. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.