A LEED and AES study of the structure,debye temperature,and oxidation of the (111) crystal face of thorium

The structure, and reactivity towards O₂ and CO, of the (111) crystal face of a single crystal of high purity thorium metal was studied using low-energy electron diffraction (LEED) and Auger electron spectroscopy (AES). After the sample was cleaned in vacuum by a combination of ion bombardment and annealing, a (1 × 1) LEED pattern characteristic of a (111) surface was obtained. Extended annealing of the cleaned sample at 1000 K produced a new LEED pattern characteristic of a (9 × 9) surface structure. A model of a reconstructed thorium surface is presented that generates the observed LEED pattern. When monolayer amounts of either O₂ or CO were adsorbed onto the crystal surface at 300 K, no ordered surface structures formed. Upon heating the sample following these exposures the (111) surface structure was restored accompanied by a reduction in the amount of surface carbon and oxygen. With continued exposure to either O₂ or CO and annealing, a new LEED pattern developed which was interpreted as resulting from the formation of thorium dioxide. Debye-Walter factor measurements were made by monitoring the intensity of a specularly reflected electron beam and indicated that the Debye temperature of the surface region is less than it is in bulk thorium. Consequently, the mean displacement of thorium atoms from their equilibrium positions was found to increase at the surface of the crystal. The presence of chemisorbed oxygen on the crystal surface affected the Debye temperature, raising it significantly.     

Adsorption-desorption properties,coadsorption, and surface structural chemistry of chlorine and oxygen on Ag(331)

At 300 K oxygen chemisorbs on Ag(331) with a low sticking probability, and the surface eventually facets to form a (110)?(2 × 1) O structure with ΔΦ = +0.7 eV. This facetting is completely reversible upon O₂ desorption at ~570 K. The electron impact properties of the adlayer, together with the LEED and desorption data, suggest that the transition from the (110) facetted surface to the (331) surface occurs at an oxygen coverage of about two-thirds the saturation value. Chemisorbed oxygen reacts rapidly with gaseous CO at 300 K, the reaction probability per impinging CO molecule being ~0.1. At 300 K chlorine adsorbs via a mobile precursor state and with a sticking probability of unity. The surface saturates to form a (6 × 1) structure with ΔΦ = +1.6 eV. This is interpreted in terms of a buckled close-packed layer of Cl atoms whose interatomic spacing is similar to those for Cl overlayers on Ag(111) and Ag(100). Desorption occurs exclusively as Cl atoms with E_d ~ 213 kJ mol^?1; a comparison of the Auger, ΔΦ, and desorption data suggests that the Cl adlayer undergoes significant depolarisation at high coverages. The interaction of chlorine with the oxygen predosed surface, and the converse oxygen-chlorine reaction are examined.     

Low-energy electron diffraction,Auger electron spectroscopy,and thermal desorption studies of chemisorbed CO and O2 on the (111) and stepped [6(111) × (100)] iridium surfaces

The adsorption of CO, O₂, and H₂O was studied on both the (111) and [6(111) × (100)] crystal faces of iridium. The techniques used were LEED, AES, and thermal desorption. Marked differences were found in surface structures and heats of adsorption on these crystal faces. Oxygen is adsorbed in a single bonding state on the (111) face. On the stepped iridium surface an additional bonding state with a higher heat of adsorption was detected which can be attributed to oxygen adsorbed at steps. On both (111) and stepped iridium crystal faces the adsorption of oxygen at room temperature produced a (2 × 1) surface structure. Two surface structures were found for CO adsorbed on Ir(111); a (√3 × √3)R30° at an exposure of 1.5–2.5 L and a (2√3 × 2√3)R30° at higher coverage. No indication for ordering of adsorbed CO was found on the Ir(S)-[6(111) × (100)] surface. No significant differences in thermal desorption spectra of CO were found on these two faces. H₂O is not adsorbed at 300 K on either iridium crystal face. The reaction of CO with O₂ was studied on Ir(111) and the results are discussed. The influence of steps on the adsorption behaviour of CO and O₂ on iridium and the correlation with the results found previously on the same platinum crystal faces are discussed.     

Adsorption of oxygen and oxidation of CO on the ruthenium (001) surface

The adsorption of oxygen on the ruthenium (001) surface has been studied using a combination of techniques: LEED/Auger, Kelvin probe contact potential changes, and flash desorption mass spectrometry. Oxygen is rapidly adsorbed at 300 K, forming an ordered LEED structure having apparent (2 × 2) symmetry. Two binding states of oxygen are inferred from the abrupt change in surface work function as a function of oxygen coverage. LEED intensity measurements indicate that the oxygen layer undergoes an order-disorder transition at temperatures several hundred degrees below the onset of desorption. The order-disorder transition temperature is a function of the oxygen coverage, consistent with two binding states. A model involving the adsorption of atomic oxygen at θ < 0.5 and the formation of complexes with higher oxygen content at θ > 0.5 is proposed. The oxidation of CO to form CO₂ was found to have the maximum rate of production at a ruthenium temperature of 950 K.     

CO adsorption on clean and oxidized Pt3Ti(111)

CO adsorption on clean and oxidized Pt₃Ti(111) surfaces has been investigated by means of Auger Electron Spectroscopy (AES), Thermal Desorption Spectroscopy (TDS), Low Energy Electron Diffraction (LEED) and High Resolution Electron Energy Loss Spectroscopy (HREELS). On clean Pt₃Ti(111) the LEED patterns after CO adsorption exhibit either a diffuse or a sharp c(4 × 2) structure (stable up to 300 K) depending on the adsorption temperature. Remarkably, the adsorption/desorption behavior of CO on clean Pt₃Ti(111) is similar to that on Pt(111) except that partial CO decomposition on Ti sites and partial CO oxidation have also been evidenced. Therefore, the clean surface cannot be terminated by a pure Pt plane. Partially oxidized Pt₃Ti(111) surfaces (< 135 L O₂ exposure at 1000 K) exhibit a CO adsorption/desorption behavior rather similar to that of the clean surface, showing again a c(4 × 2) structure (stable up to 250 K). Only the oxidation of CO is not detectable any more. These results indicate that some areas of the substrate remain non-oxidized upon low oxygen exposures. Heavily oxidized Pt₃Ti(111) surfaces (> 220 L O₂ exposure at 1000 K) allow no CO adsorption indicating that the titanium oxide film prepared under these conditions is completely closed.     

AES and LEED studies of xenon adsorption on (100)NaCl

The thermal and electro impact behaviour of NO adsorbed on Pt(111) and Pt(110) have been studied by LEED, Auger spectroscopy, and thermal desorption. NO was found to adsorb non-dissociatively and with very similar low coverage adsorption enthalpies on the two surfaces at 300 K. In both cases, heating the adlayer resulted in partial dissociation and led to the appearance of N₂ and O₂ in the desorption spectra. The (111) surface was found to be significantly more active in inducing the thermal dissociation of NO, and on this surface the molecule was also rapidly desorbed and dissociated under electron impact. Cross sections for these processes were obtained, together with the desorption cross section for atomically bound N formed by dissociation of adsorbed NO. Electron impact effects were found to be much less important on the (110) surface. The results are considered in relation to those already obtained by Ertl et al. for NO adsorption on Ni(111) and Pd(111), and in particular, the unusual desorption kinetics of N₂ production are considered explicitly. Where appropriate, comparisons are made with the behaviour of CO on Pt(111) and Pt(110), and the adsorption kinetics of NO on the (110) surface have been examined.     

The CoO/Co3O4 phase transition studied by PAC

The hyperfine environment of¹¹¹Cd nuclei formed in the radioactive decay of¹¹¹In ions implanted into CoO was studied via the PAC method. The quadrupole coupling constants measured in isochronal and isothermal annealing treatments at various oxygen pressures were related to the initial stages of the CoO→Co₃O₄ phase transition and interpreted as the successive trapping of cation vacancies at the¹¹¹In probe. The phase transition was confirmed by X-ray diffraction, RBS and a PAC measurement on¹¹¹Cd in spinel type Co₃O₄.     

Highly active surfaces for CO oxidation on Rh, Pd, and Pt

Studies show that the rate of CO oxidation on Pt-group metals at temperatures between 450 and 600 K and pressures between 1 and 300 Torr increases markedly with an increase in the O₂/CO ratio above 0.5. The catalytic surfaces, formed at discrete O₂/CO ratios >0.5, exhibit rates 2-3 orders of magnitude greater than those rates observed for stoichiometric reaction conditions and similar reactant pressures or previously in ultrahigh vacuum studies at any reactant conditions and extrapolate to the collision limit of CO in the absence of mass transfer limitations. The O₂/CO ratios required to achieve these so-called “hyperactive” states (where the reaction probabilities of CO are thought to approach unity) for Rh, Pd, and Pt relate directly to the adsorption energies of oxygen, the heats of formation of the bulk oxides, and the metal particle sizes. Auger spectroscopy and X-ray photoemission spectroscopy reveal that the hyperactive surfaces consist of approximate 1 ML of surface oxygen. In situ polarization modulation reflectance absorption infrared spectroscopy measurements coupled with no detectable adsorbed CO. In contrast, under stoichiometric O₂/CO conditions and similar temperatures and pressures, Rh, Pd, and Pt are essentially saturated with chemisorbed CO and exhibit far less activity for CO oxidation.     

Atomic and molecular oxygen adsorption on Ag(111)

The adsorption of O₂ on Ag(111) between 150 and 650 K has been studied with thermal desorption spectroscopy, Auger and photoelectron spectroscopies, and low-energy electron diffraction. A molecularly adsorbed O₂ species is populated with extremely low sticking probability (~ 5 X 10^?6) at 150 K. This species desorbs, with little dissociation, at 217 K. An atomically adsorbed species, with an O(1s) BE of 528.2 eV, is populated at 490 K with a sticking probability near 10^?6. This species exists in islands of local coverage θ_O ? 0.41, displaying a p(4 X 4)-O LEED pattern. It associatively desorbs at 579 K as O₂, and can be titrated at room temperature with CO to produce CO₂. There is also evidence for a subsurface oxygen species which reactivates below 600 K. Surface carbonate (CO_3,a) can be produced from O_a and CO₂ gas. These results are compared with similar species on Ag(110). A kinetic model is developed which describes the interaction of O₂ with these surfaces over a broad range of temperatures, and provides energetic values for the O₂/Ag interaction potential.     

Emission Mössbauer spectroscopy in the Co-O system under high oxygen pressure

Results obtained by means of the emission Mössbauer spectroscopy in CoO and Co₃O₄ systems kept under relatively high oxygen pressure (air close to the normal pressure) are reported. Broadening of the 14.4-keV ⁵⁷Fe Mössbauer line due to the diffusion of iron atoms in CoO has been investigated in the temperature range between 1275 and 1450 K. The excess of the linewidth caused by diffusive motions obeys the Arrhenius law with the activation energy of 1.86(8) eV. Mixed valence oxide Co₃O₄ was examined vs. temperature. Measurements were performed from the room temperature till 1073 K. Tetrahedrally coordinated iron impurities in the Co₃O₄ host lattice are in the high spin trivalent state despite that parent Co is divalent. The anharmonic contribution to the lattice vibrations at high temperatures was observed and analyzed for both CoO and Co₃O₄.     

Oxygen plasma activation of Cr(CO)6 on α-Fe2O3(0001)

The chemistry of Cr(CO)₆ on the Fe₃O₄(111) surface termination of α-Fe₂O₃(0001) was explored using temperature programmed desorption (TPD), Auger electron spectroscopy (AES), static secondary ion mass spectrometry (SSIMS) and low energy electron diffraction (LEED) both with and without activation from an oxygen plasma source. No thermal decomposition of Cr(CO)₆ was detected on the surface in the absence of O₂ plasma treatment, with first layer molecules desorbing in TPD at 215 K from a close-packed overlayer. The interaction of first layer Cr(CO)₆ with the Fe₃O₄(111)-termination was weak, desorbing only ～ 30 K above the leading edge of the multilayer state. Activation of multilayer coverages of Cr(CO)₆ with the O₂ plasma source at 100 K resulted in complete conversion of the outer Cr(CO)₆ layers, presumably to a disordered Cr oxide film, with Cr(CO)₆ molecules near the surface left unaffected. Absence of CO or CO₂ desorption states suggests that all carbonyl ligands are liberated for each Cr(CO)₆ molecule activated by the plasma. AES and SSIMS both show that O₂ plasma activation of Cr(CO)₆ results in a carbon-free surface (after desorption of unreacted Cr(CO)₆). LEED, however, shows that the Cr oxide film was disordered at 600 K and likely O-terminated based on subsequent water TPD. Attempts to order the film at temperatures above 650 K resulted in dissolution of Cr into the α-Fe₂O₃(0001) crystal based on SSIMS, an observation linked to the Fe₃O₄(111) termination of the surface and not to the properties of α-Cr₂O₃/α-Fe₂O₃ corundum interface. Nevertheless, this study shows that O₂ plasma activation of Cr(CO)₆ is an effective means of depositing Cr oxide films on surfaces without accompanying carbon contamination.     

Initial oxidation of the Mg(0001) surface,an electron spectroscopy study

The initial oxidation of Mg(0001) has been studied using AES (Auger electron spectroscopy), LEED (low energy electron diffraction), and EELS (electron energy loss spectroscopy). The oxidation proceeds through different stages; first oxygen atoms are incorporated to chemisorption sites below the top layer magnesium. This chemisorption phase is followed by the formation of an oxide layer. The oxide layer covers the Mg surface after an oxygen exposure of ～ 10 L O₂. After this exposure the bulk-like MgO formation slowly increases the oxide thickness. The oxide layer formed for exposures up to ≤ 10 L O₂ gives rise to a diffuse LEED pattern of the same symmetry as the original “clean” LEED pattern; the possibility of an epitaxial oxide formation at this stage is discussed.     

Cobalt oxide nanolayers on Pd(100): The thickness-dependent structural evolution

The growth of interface-stabilized cobalt oxide (CoO_x) nanolayers on Pd(100) has been investigated and their structures are reported as a function of coverage. Several different phases have been observed by LEED and STM experiments, and they have been characterized spectroscopically by photoemission and X-ray absorption. The data indicate that in the low coverage regime (up to Θ_Co ≈ 2–3 ML) rock-salt CoO type phases are formed (defective in the single layer regime, and stoichiometric in multilayers) with (100) or (111) termination. At higher coverage (Θ_Co ≈ 10–20 ML) spinel Co₃O₄(111) and CoO(100) layers have been detected, in ratios dependent on the preparation conditions. The observed structures are discussed in relation to similar structures reported recently for CoO_x films on Ir(100) [W. Meyer et al., J. Phys.: Condens. Matter 20 (2008) 265011].     

Surface chemistry of the non-basal planes of cobalt: The structure,stability, and reactivity of Co(101&#x0304;2)-CO

The structural and chemisorptive properties of the stepped, non-unique, (101&#x0304;2) surface of cobalt have been investigated by standard LEED/Auger/Δφ/thermal desorption methods. The clean surface is well-ordered, unreconstructed, and reversibly undergoes the predicted structural changes on cycling through the phase transition. CO chemisorption is rapid and non-dissociative at 300 K, leading ultimately to a (3 × 1) structure with a COCO spacing of 3.8 Å. Heating of the adlayer can, depending on the conditions, lead to competitive desorption and dissociation reactions. The data suggest that the transition state to desorption is mobile whereas that for dissociation is localised. Dissociation is accompanied by diffusion of oxygen into the bulk and formation of a very well-ordered (2 × 3) carbon structure. This structure is interpreted in terms of epitaxial growth of the (001) plane of Co₃C. The carbide surface is still capable of chemisorbing a substantial amount of CO, but cannot dissociate it. Some other ordered phases of the CoCCO system are also observed, and an attempt is made to interpret them in a consistent way. The CO chemistry of the (101&#x0304;2) surface is very different from that of the basal plane.     

Interaction of O2, CO2, CO,C2H4 and C2H4O with Ag(110)

The interaction of O₂, CO₂, CO, C₂H₄ AND C₂H₄O with Ag(110) has been studied by low energy electron diffraction (LEED), temperature programmed desorption (TPD) and electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS). For adsorbed oxygen the EELS and TPD signals are measured as a function of coverage (θ). Up to θ = 0.25 the EELS signal is proportional to coverage; above 0.25 evidence is found for dipole-dipole interaction as the EELS signal is no longer proportional to coverage. The TPD signal is not directly proportional to the oxygen coverage, which is explained by diffusion of part of the adsorbed oxygen into the bulk. Oxygen has been adsorbed both at pressures of less than 10^-4 Pa in an ultrahigh vacuum chamber and at pressures up to 10³ Pa in a preparation chamber. After desorption at 10³ Pa a new type of weakly bound subsurface oxygen is identified, which can be transferred to the surface by heating the crystal to 470 K. CO₂ is not adsorbed as such on clean silver at 300 K. However, it is adsorbed in the form of a carbonate ion if the surface is first exposed to oxygen. If the crystal is heated this complex decomposes into O_ad and CO₂ with an activation energy of 27 kcal/mol(1 kcal = 4.187 kJ). Up to an oxygen coverage of 0.25 one CO₂ molecule is adsorbed per two oxygen atoms on the surface. At higher oxygen coverages the amount of CO₂ adsorbed becomes smaller. CO readily reacts with O_ad at room temperature to form CO₂. This reaction has been used to measure the number of O atoms present on the surface at 300 K relative to the amount of CO₂ that is adsorbed at 300 K by the formation of a carbonate ion. Weakly bound subsurface oxygen does not react with CO at 300 K. Adsorption of C₂H₄O at 110 K is promoted by the presence of atomic oxygen. The activation energy for desorption of C₂H₄O from clean silver is ～ 9 kcal/mol, whereas on the oxygen-precovered surface two states are found with activation energies of 8.5 and 12.5 kcal/mol. The results are discussed in terms of the mechanism of ethylene epoxidation over unpromoted and unmoderated silver.     

Cu adsorption on Pt(111) and its effects on Chemisorption: A comparison with electrochemistry

The growth modes and interaction of vapor-deposited Cu on a clean Pt(111) surface have been monitored by Auger electron spectroscopy (AES), low energy electron diffraction (LEED), and work function measurements. The LEED data indicate that below 475 K Cu grows in p(1 × 1) islands in the first monolayer with the interatomic Cu spacing the same as the Pt(111) substrate. The second monolayer of Cu grows in epitaxial, rotationally commensurate Cu(111) planes with the CuCu distance the same as bulk Cu. For substrate temperatures below ～ 475 K, the variation of work function and “cross-over beam voltage” with Cu coverage show characteristic features at one monolayer that are quite useful for calibration of θ_Cu. Above 525 K, Cu-Pt alloy formation was observed in AES and LEED data. Thermal desorption spectroscopy of H₂ and CO has demonstrated that simple site blocking of the Pt(111) surface by vapor-deposited Cu occurs linearly with chemisorption being essentially eliminated at θ_Cu = 1.0–1.15. Conclusions drawn from this work correlate very favorably with the well-known effects of under potentially deposited copper on the electrochemistry of the H₂2H⁺ couple at platinum electrodes.     

LEED and thermal desorption studies of small molecules (H2, O2, CO,CO2, NO,C2H4, C2H2 and C) chemisorbed on the stepped rhodium (755) and (331) surfaces

The chemisorption of H₂, O₂, CO, CO₂, NO, C₂H₂, C₂H₄ and C has been studied on the clean stepped Rh(755) and (331) surfaces. Low energy electron diffraction (LEED), Auger electron spectroscopy (AES) and thermal desorption spectroscopy (TDS) were used to determine the size and orientation of the unit cells, desorption temperatures and decomposition characteristics for each adsorbate. All of the molecules studied readily chemisorbed on both stepped surfaces and several ordered surface structures were observed. The LEED patterns seen on the (755) surface were due to the formation of surface structures on the (111) terraces, while on the (331) surface the step periodicity played an important role in the determination of the unit cells of the observed structures. When heated in O₂ or C₂H₄ the (331) surface was more stable than the (755) surface which readily formed (111) and (100) facets. In the CO and CO₂ TDS spectra a peak due to dissociated CO was observed on both surfaces. NO adsorption was dissociative at low exposures and associative at high exposures. C₂H₄ and C₂H₂ had similar adsorption and desorption properties and it is likely that the same adsorbed species was formed by both molecules.     

Growth and oxidation of a Ni3Al alloy on Ni(1 0 0)

The growth and oxidation of a thin film of Ni₃Al grown on Ni(1 0 0) were studied using Auger electron spectroscopy (AES), low energy electron diffraction (LEED), and high resolution electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS). At 300 K, a 12 Å thick layer of aluminium was deposited on a Ni(1 0 0) surface and subsequently annealed to 1150 K resulting in a thin film of Ni₃Al which grows with the (1 0 0) plane parallel to the (1 0 0) surface of the substrate. Oxidation at 300 K of Ni₃Al/Ni(1 0 0) until saturation leads to the growth of an aluminium oxide layer consisting of different alumina phases. By annealing up to 1000 K, a well ordered film of the Al₂O₃ film is formed which exhibits in the EEL spectra Fuchs-Kliewer phonons at 420, 640 and 880 cm⁻¹. The LEED pattern of the oxide shows a twelvefold ring structure. This LEED pattern is explained by two domains with hexagonal structure which are rotated by 90° with respect to each other. The lattice constant of the hexagonal structure amounts to ∼2.87 Å. The EELS data and the LEED pattern suggest that the γ^′-Al₂O₃ phase is formed which grows with the (1 1 1) plane parallel to the Ni(1 0 0) surface.     

Oxygen chemisorption and the carbon monoxide-oxygen interaction on Ru(101)

The adsorption of oxygen and the interaction of carbon monoxide with oxygen on Ru(101) have been studied by LEED, Auger spectroscopy and thermal desorption. Oxygen chemisorbs at 300 K via a precursor state and with an initial sticking probability of ~0.004, the enthalpy of adsorption being ~300 kJ mol^?1. As coverage increases a well ordered ¦11,30¦ phase is formed which at higher coverages undergoes compression along [010] to form a ¦21,50¦ structure, and the surface eventually saturates at 0 ~ $\text{8}\text{9}$. Incorporation of oxygen into the subsurface region of the crystal leads to drastic changes in the surface chemistry of CO. A new high; temperature peak (γ CO, E_d ~ 800 kJ mol^?1) appears in the desorption spectra, in addition to the α and β CO peaks which are characteristic of the clean surface. Coadsorption experiments using ¹⁸O₂ indicate that γ CO is not dissociatively adsorbed, and this species is also shown to be in competition with β CO for a common adsorption site. The unusual temperature dependence of the LEED intensities of the ¦11,30¦-O phase and the nature of α, β, and β CO are discussed. Oxygen does not displace adsorbed CO at 300 K and the converse is also true, neither do any Eley-Rideal or Langmuir-Hinshelwood reactions occur under these conditions. Such processes do occur at higher temperatures, and in particular the reaction CO(g) + O(a) → CO₂(g) appears to occur with much greater collisional efficiency than on Ru(001). The oxidation of CO has been examined under steady state conditions, and the reaction was found to proceed with an apparent activation energy of 39 kJ mol^?. This result rules out the commonly accepted explanation that CO desorption is rate determining, and is compared with the findings of other authors.     

The adsorption of CO on the (110) plane of tungsten; LEED,XPS, and Auger measurements

Adsorption of CO on W(110) at 100 K produces a number of ordered LEED patterns as coverage increases, culminating in a p(5 × 1) pattern for a full virgin CO layer. The beta-1 layer obtained by heating a virgin layer to 400 K has a p(2 × 1) structure. Absolute coverages, obtained by comparison of XPS intensities (and Auger intensities where feasible) with those of oxygen on tungsten at O/W = 0.5 indicate that CO/W ? 0.8 for the full virgin layer and ? 0.3 for beta-1. These results, together with the LEED data, indicate that low temperature adsorption of virgin CO is not very site specific, and that beta-1 must be dissociated with C and O lying along alternate closepacked rows of W. XPS results for the oxygen 1s peak show that the latter shifts in beta and beta-1 from its position in virgin CO to an energy equal to that seen for pure oxygen on tungsten. A number of electron impact desorption results are also presented, and the nature of the various binding states of CO on this plane is discussed.