Photocatalytic oxidation mechanism of alkanes in contact with titanium dioxide

Abstract

Isobutane was photooxidized on titanium dioxide between -16 and +180 C in tertiary butanol and acetone. The formation of tertiary butanol preceded the formation of acetone. Above 20 C the latter compound became clearly predominant. The reaction kinetics obeyed a steady state model of oxygen chemisorption with the involvement of isobutane in the physisorbed phase