Abstract: The reaction and adsorption of syngas and paraformaldehyde on Ru-Co/SiO_2 ca-talysts prepared from Ru-Co bimetallic carbonyl clusters have been investigated by infrared, mass spectroscopies. The spectra of reaction of CO+H_2 with Ru-Co/SiO_2 catalysts showed a band appearing at 1584 cm~(-1), which has a good relationship to the activity and selectivity for oxygenates in CO hydrogenation. Thus it was proposed that 1584 cm~(-1) is a possible intermediate to produce oxygenated products. Isotopic tracer studies of D_2 and ~(13)CO suggest that 1584 cm~(-1) can possibly be assigned to the formyl group, which is in good agreement with the adsorption of paraformaldehyde. The chemical trapping of 1584 cm~(-1) adspecies provided an evidence to demonstrate that 1584 cm~(-1) is attributed to formyl. The reaction of 1584 cm~(-1) species with H_2 produced CH_4 and CH_3OH, and the introduction of D_2 into 1584 cm~(-1) species resulted in the formation of CHD_3 and CHD_2OD.

Key words: Ru-Co bimetallic carbonyl cluster, Oxygenates, CO hydrogenation, Surface formyl