Infrared study of the interactions of acetone and siliceous surfaces
Adsorbed acetone is held to silica surfaces by hydrogen bonds between surface silanols and the acetone carbonyl groups. Acetone is adsorbed by this mechanism on porous glass surfaces but there is also some decomposition, as shown by the increase in surface B—OH groups and by formation of new C—H absorptions at 2984 and 2940 cm−1. Experiments with boron-impregnated silica indicated that the presence of boron in the porous glass can account for this decomposition process. Bands at 1660–1670 and 1650 cm−1, observed when acetone and acetone-d6, respectively, were adsorbed on either porous glass or boron-impregnated silica, are attributed to ν(C=O) of the carbonyl group coordinated with a surface boron atom. The surface hydroxyls of both silica and porous glass could exchange with the deuterium of acetone-d6 via a mechanism involving an enol intermediate.