Open AccessAdsorption/Desorption of H2 and O2 at a p-Cr2O3 Surface: Electrical Conductivity Studies
Author(s) -
Mahmoud M. Khader,
Mahmoud M. Saleh,
Ahmad M. Mohammad
Publication year - 1998
Publication title -
adsorption science and technology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.682
H-Index - 36
eISSN - 2048-4038
pISSN - 0263-6174
DOI - 10.1177/026361749801600701
Subject(s) - chromia , chemistry , adsorption , conductivity , chemisorption , desorption , hydrogen , analytical chemistry (journal) , electrical resistivity and conductivity , oxygen , inorganic chemistry , stoichiometry , oxide , organic chemistry , chromatography , electrical engineering , engineering
The behaviour of H 2 and O 2 flows over a porous p-Cr 2 O 3 pellet have been studied by means of an in situ electrical conductivity technique. Changes in the electrical conductivity associated with such gas flows were attributed to changes in the concentration of positively charged holes in the material studied. In the presence of an H 2 flow, the electrical conductivity of the p-Cr 2 O 3 surface first increased and then decreased sharply. The initial increase was attributed to the chemisorption of H 2 leading to surface hydroxylation. The formation of O–H bonds during this process resulted in a decrease in the electron density at the surface and thereby increased the contribution of positively charged holes towards the total conductivity. In contrast, the subsequent sharp decrease in conductivity was explained by the elimination of chemisorbed oxygen which had originally been adsorbed dissociatively at the surface. During this process, elimination of chemisorbed oxygen atoms led to the presence of electrons in the chromia lattice which generated a sharp decrease in the hole concentration via an electron–hole recombination process. In an O 2 atmosphere, the conductivity of the deoxygenated chromia increased exponentially to a maximum value and then decreased until it reached a value similar to that for stoichiometric chromia. The increase in conductivity observed in this case was assigned to the adsorption of oxygen on the chromia surface while the subsequent decrease was attributed to hydrogen desorption. The kinetics of the four processes observed, i.e. hydrogen adsorption, oxygen desorption, oxygen adsorption and hydrogen desorption, have been analyzed.