On the mechanism of the interaction between oxygen and close-packed single-crystal aluminum surfaces

Using periodic first principles simulations we investigate the interaction of oxygen molecules with both regular Al(111) and Al(001) surfaces as well as a stepped Al(111) substrate. The limitation of this approach is the use of thin metallic slabs with a limited range for their coverage by adsorbed oxygen. The advantage is the detailed modeling that is possible at an atomic level. On the regular Al(111) surface, we have been able to follow the oxidation process from the approach of O₂ molecules to the surface, through the chemisorption and absorption of O atoms, up to the formation of first Al₂O₃ formula units. An energetically feasible mechanism for the formation of these Al₂O₃ ‘molecules’ is proposed but their aggregation to Al₂O₃ growth nuclei can only be surmised. On the Al(001) surface, absorption of oxygen atoms occurs more readily without any restrictions on the density of their surface overlayer, in agreement with the failure to observe a distinct chemisorption stage for O on Al(001) experimentally. The stepped Al(111) surface contains both {111} and {001} microfacets: the latter are obviously preferred for penetration of the oxygen adatoms into the subsurface space of the substrate. Before considering the O/Al interfaces the computational method is tested thoroughly by simulations on bulk Al and close-packed aluminum surfaces.     

A vibrational characterisation of the O/A1(111) system: a reassignment of HREELS data

In light of recent STM measurements of the O/A1(111) system, we reassign the dipole active modes observed at low coverage to resolve discrepancies between the interpretation of Strong, Firey, deWette and Erskine [Phys. Rev. B 26 (1982) 3483], invoking subsurface oxygen, and a variety of other studies which find no evidence for surface oxygen. The STM results, which show that very small island sizes are stabilized over an exposure range up to ∼ 200 L with a total coverage ≤ 0.2 ML, are incompatible with the assumption of long range periodicity required for lattice dynamical modeling. The consequence is that vibrational modes polarized parallel to the surface may become dipole active. Within an Al₃O cluster model appropriate to exposures ≤ 3 L where most oxygen atoms are isolated species in three-fold hollow sites, the strong feature at 584 cm⁻¹ (72 meV) is still attributed to top-layer oxygen motion perpecdicular to the surface (the symmetric Al₃O stretch) but the second intense feature at 480 cm⁻¹ (60 meV) is assigned to the umbrella mode involving predominantly Al motion parallel to the surface rather than the motion of two AlO layers moving perpendicular to the surface out of phase with each other. The lowest frequency mode near 224 cm⁻¹ (28 meV) derives from the frustrated translation of the cluster perpendicular to the surface. At higher exposures (> 10 L) where multiple oxygen islands begin to appear, totally symmetric combinations of the E-derived asymmetric Al₃O stretching motion polarised nominally parallel to the surface become dipole allowed and can be assigned to the loss at 850 cm⁻¹ (105 meV), which was previously attributed to subsurface oxygen.     

The bonding of oxygen to Al(111)

Oxidation of the Al(111) surface is a two-stage process in which the formation of an ordered oxygen overlayer precedes the creation of a bulk-like amorphous oxide. An electronic structure calculation is reported here for the clean and oxygen-covered Al(111) surface and for bulk A1₂O₃. The calculation uses an atomic-orbital basis and the metal surface is modelled by an infinite two-dimensional crystal, containing seven layers of aluminium atoms. Oxygen atoms occupy three-fold sites, with an Al-O separation of 1.9 Å. The oxygen 2p resonance in the (1 × 1) chemisorbed overlayer is about 3 eV wide, compared to 1.9 eV for an equivalent isolated layer of oxygen atoms unhybridized with the metal. The valence band of A1₂O₃ is about 1.5 eV wider than the chemisorbed oxygen resonance, but in both cases most of the states are concentrated in the top 1.5 eV of the band. The results are related to available ultraviolet photoemission spectra, including the recent angular-resolved spectra of Martinson and Flodström.     

Chemisorbed ordered oxygen overlayer on AL(111): An angular resolved photoemission study

Chemisorbed oxygen atoms on aluminum induce a strong O 2p derived surface resonance. On the (111) crystal face the oxygen atoms form an ordered overlayer of (1x1) symmetry. The O 2p resonance in this system has been studied using angle resolved photoemission. The results indicate one of the threefold centered hollow sites as the probable site of chemisorption. At normal electron emission, the O 2p resonance is sharp and symmetric. Strong dispersion effects are seen at non-normal emission indicating appreciable oxygen-oxygen interaction in the chemisorbed layer.     

Adsorption position of oxygen on the Pt(111) surface

The adsorption position of oxygen on the clean Pt(111) surface has been determined by means of the transmission channeling technique. Oxygen adsorbs in a well ordered p(2 × 2) overlayer structure at temperatures 200 T 350 K. From an analysis of the angular scans along the [111], [110] and [100] axial directions it is concluded that the O atoms are adsorbed in the fcc three-fold hollow site exclusively at a height of 0.85 ± 0.06 Å above the Pt surface layer. From a narrowing of the [111] angular O scan, the O RMS displacement parallel to the surface is found to be 0.16 ±0.03 Å.     

Theoretical calculation of vibrations of adsorbed species

The chemisorption of oxygen on Lithium, Aluminum, Nickel and Copper surfaces has been investigated using the ab initio Hartree-Fock cluster model. These substrates have the possibility for different bonding in that Li is a simple s metal, Al an s, p and Ni(Cu) an s, p, d metal. In all cases, we have calculated binding energy curves as a function of the oxygen-metal distance. Using these curves, we have derived oxygen-metal normal vibrational frequencies, and the equilibrium bond distance. We have compared the calculated vibrational energy with electron energy loss spectroscopic (EELS) data for Al and find a satisfactory agreement. We discuss O adsorbed on Ni(100) for which coverage dependent loss peaks have been reported but no generally acceptable interpretation exists to date.     

Surface vibrational excitations of O in the p(2 × 2)O and c(2 × 2)O structures on Ni(100)

Surface vibrational excitations of O chemisorbed on the clean Ni(100) surface have been investigated by high-resolution electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS). The observed vibrational losses in the Ni(100) p(2 × 2)O and Ni(100) c(2 × 2)O surface structures are 53.0 ± 0.5 and 39.5 ± 0.5 meV respectively. The unexpectedly large change in the vibrational excitation energy is attributed to a low potential barrier for oxygen dissolution into the Ni substrate.     

Oxidation of a potassium monolayer on Ru(001) studied with photoemission,NEXAFS and vibrational EELS

The interaction of oxygen with a monolayer of potassium on a Ru(001) surface has been investigated with photoemission and NEXAFS. O 1s core-level data exhibit for low exposures of oxygen a single peak at 531.8 eV. This indicates together with the earlier observation of KO bond formation by EELS that a single K_xO_y species with equivalent oxygen atoms is formed. NEXAFS data indicate a partially filled O π* orbital and a strongly shifted σ-resonance. Photoemission, vibrational and Auger data suggest an ionic species which is close to potassium Superoxide with the OO bond oriented parallel to the surface.     

Vibrational EELS and DFT study of propionic acid and pyruvic acid on Ni(1 0 0): Effects of keto group substitution on room-temperature adsorption and thermal chemistry

The room-temperature adsorption and thermally induced processes of propionic acid and pyruvic acid on Ni(1 0 0) have been investigated by electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS). Computational vibrational analysis of the optimized bidentate structures for acid-Ni model complexes (involving the organic acid and a Ni atom) has been performed by using the two-layer ONIOM method with the Density Functional Theory and used to interpret the vibrational EELS data. Dehydrogenation of the hydroxyl group is found to result in bonding of the carboxylate group in the propionate and pyruvate adspecies to either a single Ni surface atom in a bidentate configuration or two neighbouring Ni atoms in a bridge configuration. Given the similarities in the total energies and related vibrational frequencies obtained by the calculations in the case of pyruvate adspecies, it is difficult to differentiate the alternate adsorption structure, in which the keto O and hydroxyl O atoms are bonded to a Ni atom in a five-member chelate ring configuration. Furthermore, temperature-dependent EELS studies show that both the propionate and pyruvate adspecies could decompose upon annealing to above 400 K and further dissociate to CO adspecies above 550 K and to C and/or O above 600 K.     

Mn/GaAs(100)界面的形成和化学反应的研究

利用低能电子衍射(LEED)、X射线光电子能谱(XPS)、电子能量损失谱(EELS)、紫外光电子能谱(UPS),对室温下Mn在GaAs(100)4×1表面的淀积过程进行了研究。研究结果表明,当锰的覆盖度θ≥0.25nm时,LEED图案完全消失,表明Mn没有生长成单晶。LEED,EELS的结果都表明淀积初期是层状生长的。对XPS的Ga2p_3/2,As2p_3/2的峰形、强度进行分析,可以知道在很小的覆盖度下,Mn就与衬底反应。置换出的Ga被局限在离原来的界面约3nm 关键词：     

Adatom-vacancy mechanisms for the C6)/Al111-(6 x 6) reconstruction

The irreversible (6x6) reconstruction of the C(60)/Al(111) system from the (2sqrt[3]x2sqrt[3])R30 degrees phase is studied by first-principles techniques. We find that C60 binds optimally to the surface if an Al vacancy is created directly underneath. The removed Al atoms form a (6x6) array of ad-dimers in the interstices below the C60 overlayer, to which they strongly bind. This spontaneous local process, rather than the compression state of the unreconstructed C60 overlayer, explains why one molecule out of three protrudes from the surface upon reconstruction.     

Density-functional based modeling of the intermediate in the water production reaction on Pt(111)

A model based on density-functional calculations has been developed for the overlayer formed by dissociation of water on an oxygen covered Pt(111) surface. The directional dependent interaction within the overlayer is treated by means of a lattice model of Ising type. Stable large length scale structures are found for two compositions proposed in the literature: a hydroxyl-water and a hydroxyl-hydrogen mixed composition, respectively. The water containing composition produces an overlayer structure in very good agreement with the structures seen in scanning tunneling microscopy experiments.     

A vibrational investigation of the stability, morphology and surface reactivity of NiO on Ni(100)

The formation and thermal stability of NiO on Ni(100) have been investigated using high-resolution electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS) and low-energy electron diffraction (LEED). Our results indicate that the saturated NiO/Ni(100) layer prepared at 300 K is rather poorly ordered and is thermally unstable at higher temperatures. Heating this NiO/Ni(100) layer to 800 K produces a surface with mixtures of crystalline NiO(100) clusters and c(2 × 2)−O chemisorbed local structures. The long range order of the NiO(100) clusters could be improved by repeated cycles of oxygen adsorption at 300 K followed by heating to 800 K. The NiO(100) clusters obtained after 9 cycles of such dosing-annealing exhibit bulk-like properties, as suggested both by the off-specular EELS measurements and by the experimental observation that the intensities of the multiple loss features follow the expected Poisson distribution. The Ni---O bond strength of the NiO(100) clusters, estimated from the overtone spectra, is 3.6 eV. In addition, the reduction of NiO(100) clusters by H₂ at 800 K has also been investigated. The NiO(100) clusters are reduced preferentially with respect to the c(2 × 2)−O overlayer, resulting in a reduction sequence of NiO(100) → c(2 × 2)−O → p(2 × 2)−O → Ni(100).     

LEED crystallographic analysis for the structure formed by 2 ML of O at the Zr(0001) surface

A tensor LEED analysis is reported for the Zr(0001)-(1 × 1)-O surface which involves oxygen at a total coverage of 2 monolayers. The structure is indicated to have two layers of O: one forms an overlayer in which the O atoms bond to hollow sites of three-fold coordination on the regular metal surface, while the other layer has the O atoms in tetrahedral hole sites between the first and second metal layers. The stacking sequence, designated as (C)B(A)AB... corresponds to the first three layers of anion-terminated cubic ZrO₂, although some lateral compression is needed for superposition on the regular hcp Zr structure. The absorption of O in the tetrahedral holes results in a significant expansion in the first-to-second Zr---Zr interlayer spacing to about 3.44 Å from the bulk vaue of 2.57 Å. The O---Zr bond lengths are estimated to equal 2.07 Å for the overlayer O atoms, and 2.21 Å for the O atoms in tetrahedral hole sites. Comparisons are made with the structures of the corresponding 0.5 and 1 ML surfaces formed by the O/Zr(0001) system.     

Vibrational EELS,XPS and UPS study of CO chemisorbed on Pt10Ni90(111): Evidence for the existence of different sites

CO adsorption on the (111) face of a Pt₁₀Ni₉₀ alloy single crystal has been investigated at room temperature by vibrational electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS) and photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS and UPS). Two well separated CO stretching modes develop at 2070 and 1820 ± 10 cm^?1, with their intensities reaching 64 and 36% respectively of the total intensity at saturation coverage. They are attributed to CO adspecies in terminal and bridge bonded configuration respectively. The UPS spectra of 4σ, 5σ and 1π molecular orbitais of adsorbed CO show complex features which may be resolved into two components having the main characteristics of CO adsorbed on pure Pt(111) and Ni(111) respectively. Such behaviour is also observed by XPS on C 1s on O 1s peaks. Their respective contributions, in both XPS and UPS spectra are about 64 and 36% of the whole spectrum. Finally compared to Ni(111) — on which CO adsorbs mainly in bridge configuration — the alloying with 10% Pt has generated the appearance of a large number of new sites for CO chemisorption associated with the presence of Pt atoms at the surface. The large amount of terminal CO adspecies is interpreted in terms of considerable surface enrichment of the alloy in platinum.     

Hydrogen bonding in mixed OH+H2O overlayers on Pt(111)

The stability of OH on Pt(111) has been investigated to determine the role of hydrogen bonding in stabilizing the overlayer. We find that the optimal structure is a mixed (OH+H2O) phase, confirming recent density-functional theory predictions. The reaction O+3H(2)O forms a hexagonal (sqrt[3]xsqrt[3])R30 degrees -(OH+H2O) lattice with a weak (3x3) superstructure, caused by ordering of the hydrogen bonds. The mixed overlayer can accommodate a range of H(2)O/OH compositions but becomes less stable as the H2O content is reduced, causing defects in the hydrogen-bonding network that lift the (3 x 3) superstructure and destabilize the overlayer.     

Molecular and atomic oxygen adsorption on the kinked Pt(321) surface

Oxygen adsorption and desorption were characterized on the kinked Pt(321) surface using high resolution electron energy loss spectroscopy, thermal desorption spectroscopy and Auger electron spectroscopy. Some dissociation of molecular oxygen occurs even at 100 K on the (321) surface indicating that the activation barrier for dissociation is smaller on the Pt(321) surface than on the Pt(111) surface. Molecular oxygen can be adsorbed at 100 K but only in the presence of some adsorbed atomic oxygen. The dominance of the v(OO) molecular oxygen stretching mode in the 810 to 880 cm^?1 range indicates that the molecular oxygen adsorbs as a peroxo-like species with the OO axis parallel or nearly parallel to the surface, as observed previously on the Pt(111) surface [Gland et al., Surface Sci. 95 (1980) 587]. The existence of at least two types of peroxo-like molecular oxygen is suggested by both the unusual breadth of the v(OO) stretching mode and breadth of the molecular oxygen desorption peak. Atomic oxygen is adsorbed more strongly on the rough step sites than on the smooth (111) terraces, as indicated by the increased thermal stability of atomic oxygen adsorbed along the rough step sites. The two forms of adsorbed atomic oxygen can be easily distinguished by vibrational spectroscopy since oxygen adsorbed along the rough step sites causes a v(PtO) stretching mode at 560 cm^?1, while the v(PtO) stretching mode for atomic oxygen adsorbed on the (111) terraces appears at 490 cm^?1, a value typical of the (111) surface. Two desorption peaks are observed during atomic oxygen recombination and desorption from the Pt(321) surface. These desorption peaks do not correlate with the presence of the two types of adsorbed atomic oxygen. Rather, the first order low temperature peak is a result of the fact that about three times more atomic oxygen can be adsorbed on the Pt(321) surface than on the Pt(111) surface (where only a second order peak is observed). The heat of desorption for atomic oxygen decreases from about 290kJ/mol (70 kcal/mol) to about 196 kJ/mol (47 kcal/mol) with increasing coverage. Preliminary results concerning adsorption of molecular oxygen from the gas phase in an excited state are also briefly discussed.     

O在预覆盖K的Ag(110)表面的共吸附及其性质

本文用X射线光电子能谱(XPS),紫外光电子能谱(UPS),电子能量损失谱(EELS)和低能电子衍射(LEED)研究了O与预覆盖K的Ag(110)表面相互作用及其性质。在低覆盖度K下,发现有两种O的吸附态,经鉴别为溶解到表面下的O^2-和表面上吸附的O^x-增加K的覆盖度,出现分子状态的吸附物O₂^δ-,它与表面下存在的K相联系。XPS和UPS均清楚地显示出对应于三种不同吸附态的光电子发射峰。Ag(110)表面预覆盖K后的粘滞系数大大增加。K和O的共吸附引起它们彼此向Ag(110)表面下的溶解。LEED实验结果表明,清洁Ag(110)表面覆盖单层K原子后衍射图形从(1×1)变到(1×2),再吸附O后表面吸附层结构变为(2×1)。另外,结合UPS和EELS测量初步考察了O/K/Ag(110)共吸附系统的电子结构。本文还提出了一个共吸附模型来解释这些现象。 关键词：     

Structure of Ag ON Rh and its effect on the adsorption of D2 and CO

Ag vapor deposited on Rh(100) is investigated as a possible model for the corresponding bimetallic cluster catalyst. Ag overlayer growth follows the Frank-Van der Merwe mechanism at 300 K and the Stranski-Krastanov mechanism at 640 K. The first Ag overlayer grows epitaxially with the Rh(100) surface and forms two-dimensional islands. The second layer reconstructs forming a pseudohexagonal lattice structure with a 19% greater Ag atom density than the first layer. Neither alloy formation nor dissolution of Ag into the Rh crystal lattice is observed. The presence of Ag decreases the capacity of the Rh(100) surface for both D₂ and CO chemisorption. In both cases, loss of adsorption sites on the Rh surface is attributed to physical site blocking by islands of Ag. Very weakly bound CO adsorption sites are observed which are attributed to CO bonding to Ag atoms in the first Ag overlayer. The Ag/Rh(100) system is found to be very similar to the analogous SiO₂ supported catalyst.     

Coordination of acetonitrile (CH3CN) to platinum (111): Evidence for an η2(C,N) species

Acetonitrile (CH₃CN) coordination to a Pt(111) surface has been studied with electron energy loss vibrational spectroscopy (EELS), XPS, thermal desorption and work function measurements. We compare data for the surface states with known acetonitrile coordination complexes. For CH₃CN adsorbed on Pt(111) at 100 K, the molecule is rehybridized and adsorbs with the CN bond parallel or slightly inclined to the surface plane in an η²(C, N) configuration. The ν(CN) frequency is 1615 cm^?1 and the C ls and N ls binding energies are 284.6 eV and 397.2 eV respectively. By contrast, weakly adsorbed multilayer acetonitrile exhibits a ν(CN) vibrational frequency of 2270 cm^?1, and C ls and N ls binding energies of 286.9 eV and 400.1 eV respectively. Both the EELS and XPS results are consistent with rehybridization of the CN triple bond to a double bond with both C and N atoms of the CN group attached to the surface. In addition to this majority η²(C, N) monolayer state, evidence is found for a second, more strongly bound minority molecular state in thermal desorption spectra. As a result of the low coverage of this state, EELS was unable to spectroscopically identify it and we tentatively assign it as an η⁴(C, N) species associated with accidental step sites. By contrast to the surface complexes, almost all of the known platinum-nitrile coordination complexes are end-bonded via the N lone-pair orbital. Several cases of side-on bonding are known, however, and we compare the results with the known complex Fe₃(η²-NCCH₃)(CO)₉. The difference in the coordinative properties of a Pt(111) surface versus a single Pt atom must be due to the increased ability of multi-atom arrays to back-donate electrons into the π¹ system of acetonitrile. Previously published EELS and XPS results for monolayer acetonitrile on Ni(111) and polycrystalline films are almost identical to the present results on Pt(111). We believe that the monolayer of $\text{CH}{}_3\text{CN}\text{Ni}\text{(111)}$ is also an η²(C, N) species, not an end-bonded species previously proposed by Friend, Muetterties and Gland.