Mass spectrometric study of allyl radical, allyl bromide and 1,5-hexadiene interactions with oxides; Cobalt suboxide Co3O4

Products of (a) allyl radical interaction with unheated Co3O4, (b) thermally activated 1,5-hexadiene or thermally activated allyl bromide with unheated Co3O4, (c) moderately heated Co3O4 with unheated 1,5-hexadiene or allyl bromide were studied under Knudsen flow conditions. Cobalt suboxide Co3O4, a typical catalyst of deep oxidations yielded acrolein in reaction with allyl radicals as early as at the room temperature of the catalyst. A similar acrolein formation was also observed in the allyl radical interaction with other oxides exhibiting different catalytic properties. It appears that acrolein is in general the primary product of the allyl radical interaction with the oxides. The results are discussed and compared with previous data obtained with MoO3.