The electronic catalyst: dissociation of chlorinated hydrocarbons by metal-insulator-metal electron emitters

✍ Scribed by R.G. Sharpe; St.J. Dixon-Warren; P.J. Durston; R.E. Palmer

• Book ID: 103030585
• Publisher: Elsevier Science
• Year: 1995
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 331 KB
• Volume: 234
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0009-2614
• DOI: 10.1016/0009-2614(95)00053-7

✦ Synopsis

We have demonstrated that electrons emitted from a metal-insulator-metal (MIM) device can be used to mediate a simple chemical reaction, namely the decomposition of chlorinated hydrocarbons via dissociative attachment (DA). The peak in the kinetic energy of the emitted electrons shifts upwards with increasing device voltage, which should allow tuneable selection of particular molecular electron attachment resonances. In the case of CC14 the DA resonance is peaked at = 0 eV. The yield of CI-ions was found to be proportional to the total electron yield, which increased exponentially with increasing device voltage above a threshold. The electrical properties of the MIM devices were found to be affected by the presence of gas-phase CCi4, suggesting that some CC14 is incorporated into the device structure. We also found detectable C1-emission from CCI 4 incorporated into the MIM device.