Coadsorption of methanol and carbon dioxide on alumina

A Fourier-transform infrared study, together with microcalorimetric measurements, have identified two types of surface interactions during the coadsorption of methanol and CO2 on alumina. Methanol displaces CO2 from hydrogen carbonates, while gaseous CO2 reacts with adsorbed methoxy groups, leading to adsorbed methyl carbonate-like species characterized by very strong bands at 1623, 1476 and 1370 cm–1.