Investigations of the Chemistry of Early Transition-Metal Nitrides/Carbides for Hydrogenation/Dehydrogenation Reactions

The chemistry of hydrogen associated with surface and subsurface sites on early transition-metal carbide and nitride catalysts has been investigated.  Mo₂N catalysts were prepared and characterized with hydrogen selectively populating surface and interstitial sites. Materials populated with subsurface hydrogen were selective for the hydrogenation of crotonaldehyde to crotyl alcohol.