Leed and thermal desorption studies of small molecules (H2, O2, CO,CO2, NO,C2H4, C2H2 AND C) chemisorbed on the rhodium (111) and (100) surfaces

The chemisorption of H₂, O₂, CO, CO₂, NO, C₂H₄, C₂H₂ and C has been studied on the clean Rh(111) and (100) surfaces. LEED, AES and thermal desorption were used to determine the surface structures, disordering and desorption temperatures, displacement and decomposition characteristics for each species. All of the molecules studied readily chemisorbed on both surfaces. A large variety of ordered structures was observed, especially on the (111) surface. The disordering temperatures of most ordered surface structures on the (111) surface were below 100°C. It was necessary to adsorb the gases at 25° C or below in order to obtain well-ordered surface structures. Chemisorbed oxygen was readily removed from the surface by H₂ or CO gas at crystal temperatures above 50°C. CO₂ appears to dissociate to CO upon adsorption on both rhodium surfaces as indicated by the identical ordering and desorption characteristics of these two molecules. C₂H₄ and C₂H₂ also had very similar ordering and desorption characteristics and it is likely that the adsorbed species formed by both molecules is the same. Decomposition of ethylene produced a sequence of ordered carbon surface structures on the (111) face as a result of a bulk-surface carbon equilibrium. The chemisorption properties of rhodium appear to be generally similar to those of iridium, nickel and palladium.