An infrared spectroscopy study of the adsorption of CO on Fe/MgO

Adsorption of carbon monoxide on Fe/MgO catalysts has been studied by infrared spectroscopy. These results were compared to the ir spectra for CO adsorbed on Fe powders. These studies show that the CO stretching frequency can be correlated with the oxidation state of the Fe on the supported catalysts; on Fe0 the CO stretch is at 1960 cm−1, on Fe2 the CO stretch is at ca. 2080 cm−1, and on Fe3 the CO stretch is at ca. 2150 cm−1. The results support the hypothesis that MgO stabilizes Fe2+ as the most significant iron species.