Adsorption and reaction of nitric oxide and oxygen on Rh(111)

Adsorption of NO and O₂ on Rh(111) has been studied by TPD and XPS. Both gases adsorb molecularly at 120 K. At low coverages (θ_NO < 0.3) NO dissociates completely upon heating to form N₂ and O₂ which have peak desorption temperatures at 710 and 1310 K., respectively. At higher NO coverages NO desorbs at 455 K and a new N₂ state obeying first order kinetics appears at 470 K. At saturation, 55% of the adsorbed NO decomposes. Preadsorbed oxygen inhibits NO decomposition and produces new N₂ and NO desorption states, both at 400 K. The saturation coverage of NO on Rh(111) is approximately 0.67 of the surface atom density. Oxygen on Rh(111) has two strongly bound states with peak temperatures of 840 and 1125 K with a saturation coverage ratio of 1:2. Desorption parameters for the 1125 peak vary strongly with coverage and, assuming second-order kinetics, yield an activation energy of $\text{85 ± 5}\text{kcal}\text{mol}$ and a pre-exponential factor of 2.0 cm² s^?1 in the limit of zero coverage. A molecular state desorbing at 150 K and the 840 K state fill concurrently. The saturation coverage of atomic oxygen on Rh(111) is approximately 0.83 times the surface atom density. The behavior of NO on Rh and Pt low index planes is compared.