Mechanisms for the dehydrogenation of alkanes on platinum:: Insights gained from the reactivity of gaseous cluster cations, Ptn+ n=1-21

Rates for the dihydrogen elimination of methane, ethane, and propane with cationic platinum clusters, Pt-n(+) (1 <= n <= 21), were measured under binary collision conditions in a Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometer (FTICR). The reaction rate for a given cluster, Pt-n(+), follows the trend k(CH4)