Dissociative adsorption of sulfur dioxide on .gamma.-alumina investigated by TPD and mass spectrometry

Prior studies on the adsorption of SO 2 on γ-alumina are not particularly revealing about the SO 2 -alumina surface interactions. Chemisorbed SO 2 on alumina was examined using a TPD-MS approach. The use of S 18 O 2 clearly demonstrated that both molecular and dissociated forms of SO 2 chemisorb on the surface of γ-alumina. The most likely mode of adsorption apparently involves interaction between oxygen atoms in the gaseous molecule and oxygen vacancies on the surface of alumina