Investigating the Mechanism of Chiral Surface Reactions: The Interaction of Methylacetoacetate with (S)-Glutamic Acid Modified Ni{111}

The enantioselective hydrogenation of beta ketoesters over Ni-based catalysts is a rare example of a heterogeneously catalyzed chiral reaction. The key step in catalyst preparation is the adsorption from solution of chiral molecules (modifiers). One particularly interesting modifier is (S)-glutamic acid because the dominant enantiomeric product in the catalytic reaction depends upon the modification temperature. We report a reflection absorption infrared spectroscopy (RAIRS) study of the adsorption of methylacetoacetate (the simplest beta ketoester) onto (S)-glutamic acid modified Ni{111} surfaces as functions of the modifier coverage and modification temperature. We show that the sticking probability of methylacetoacetate is close to 0 on saturated (S)-glutamic acid covered surfaces. At lower modifier coverage, methylacetoacetate adsorption can occur. Adsorption of methylacetoacetate onto a Ni{111} surface modified by (S)-glutamic acid at 300 K results in the diketo tautomeric form, with evidence being observed for a 1:1 interaction between zwitterionic (S)-glutamate and methylacetoacetate. In contrast, adsorption of methylacetoacetate onto a Ni{111} surface modified by (S)-glutamic acid at 350 K occurs exclusively in the enol tautomeric form. The implications for the heterogeneous catalytic reaction are discussed.