Similarly, unreacted DMC, as well as any formed propene, should also be detectable. Many of the investigated decomposition products, such as [CO 3 ] -2 and propandiolate are found to chemisorb on the sodium and the (111) sodium chloride surfaces, likely causing them to be invisible for the experimental gas phase analysis. Therefore, gas phase analysis methods will be ill-suited to detect many of these "first step" products.