Evidence for a surface reaction between H and CO adsorbed on polycrystalline Pt

Temperature programmed desorption (TPD) experiments have been performed after dosing an ion-sputtered and annealed polycrystalline Pt surface with CO and H₂. The CO-dosing was done both sequentially and simultaneously. With increasing residence time on the surface, the H₂-TPD spectra exhibit conversion of the original H₂-like features to features similar to the CO-TPD peaks. This provides evidence for the formation of a CO/H surface species through a chemical reaction between adsorbed H and adsorbed CO. The reaction occurs more rapidly when the sample is dosed or held at elevated temperatures, indicating that the reaction is activated.     

Prediction of a highly activated state of CO adsorbed on an Al/Fe(100) bimetallic surface

Using periodic slab density functional theory, we investigate CO adsorption, diffusion, and dissociation energetics on a monolayer of Al covering Fe(100) [Al/Fe(100)]. We predict a weakly chemisorbed state of CO to exist on Al/Fe(100), with CO adsorbing on the 4-fold hollow site in a very tilted fashion. This state is predicted to have an extremely low CO stretching frequency of only 883 cm(-1), indicating a dramatically weakened CO bond relative to gaseous CO, even though the molecule is predicted to bind to Al/Fe(100) quite weakly. We predict that dissociation of CO starting from this weakly adsorbed state has a barrier of only approximately 0.35 eV, which is approximately 0.70 eV lower than that on Fe(100). To understand how the underlying substrate changes the electronic properties of the supported Al monolayer, we compare CO adsorption on Al/Fe(100) to its adsorption on analogous pure Al(100) surfaces. This highly activated yet weakly bound state of CO on Al/Fe(100) suggests that Al/Fe(100) could be an effective low-temperature bimetallic catalyst in reducing environments.     

Thermodynamic and structural properties of water adsorbed film on MgO (100) ionic surface

We have investigated by adsorption isotherms and neutron diffraction measurements, respectively the thermodynamic and structural properties of water physisorbed film on MgO (100) powder. Thanks to a high temperature thermal treatment, under vacuum, our MgO powder samples are characterized by a highly homogeneous (100) MgO surface. We have determined the structure of the (2D) water film physisorbed on such an ionic surface. This one is a commensurate P(2×3) structure which is very similar to the (110) planes of ice-VII. Recall that ice VII, which is stable at very high pressure, is characterized by a quite large density (d = 1.6).     

Adsorption properties of polycrystalline and single crystal electrodes and the influence of surface inhomogeneity

It is shown that the adsorption of some neutral organic compounds on individual faces of a zinc single crystal can be described by the Frumkin-Damaskin theory with the use of the two parallel capacitors model. For a polycrystalline electrode a departure from the two parallel capacitors model is observed which is due to the energetic inhomogeneity of the surface. A method is suggested for calculation of the adsorption isotherm, and of the dependence of the surface coverage θ on the potential of a polycrystalline electrode, from capacity measurements data under the condition that for all n crystallographic faces (grains) exposed on the surface, the difference (C_on ? C′_n) is the same (C_on and C′_n are the double layer capacities in the supporting electrolyte solution and at θ = 1 of the n-th face, respectively). An adsorption isotherm is proposed for a uniformly inhomogeneous surface which takes account of the attractive interaction between adsorbate particles. Some methods are suggested for evaluation of the surface inhomogeneity factor (f). This factor has been determined from adsorption data for cyclohexanol and n-amyl alcohol. The differential capacity curves measured on polycrystalline zinc in the presence of cyclohexanol are in good agreement with the calculated curve for a uniformly inhomogeneous surface.     

Calorimetric investigations on molecular interactions in a mixed layer adsorbed on a homogeneous surface

The adsorption and differential heats of adsorption of mixtures of methanol and tetrahydrofuran (mole ratio 11), methanol and cyclopentane (11 and 14) and tetrahydrofuran and cyclopentane (11 and 14) on a graphitized carbon black (Sterling MT) surface were determined.The dependence of the intermolecular interactions on the composition of the adsorbed layer was established. From an analysis of the experimental results, the mechanism of adsorption of the equimolar methanol-tetrahydrofuran mixture was described, in which both homomolecular. and heteromolecular association were taken into consideration.

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Zusammenfassung Es wurde die Adsorption und die differentiellen Adsorptionswärmen äqnimolarer Gemische aus Methanol mit Tetrahydrofuran bzw. aus Methanol und Tetra-hydrofuran mit Cyclopentan (Molverhältnis 11 bzw. 14) an mit Graphit überzogenen Ruß Sterling MT Oberflächen bestimmt.Dabei wurde die Abhängigkeit der intermolekularen Wechselwirkungen von der Zusammensetzung der adsorbierten Schicht aufgedeckt. Ausgehend von der Analyse der experimentellen Ergebnisse wurde der Mechanismus der Adsorption eines Methanol-Tetrahydrofurangemisches beschrieben, wobei sowohl homoals auch heteromolekulare Assoziation berücksichtigt wurde.

     

Spectral properties of rhodamine 3B adsorbed on the surface of montmorillonites with variable layer charge

Montmorillonite was thermally treated at several temperatures to reduce the charge density of its layer surface. Absorption and fluorescence (steady-state and time-resolved) spectroscopies are now applied to study the adsorption of rhodamine 3B (R3B) laser dye in reduced charge montmorillonites (RCMs) in aqueous suspensions. The decrease in the charge density increases the intermolecular distance between adsorbed R3B molecules, reducing the tendency of the dye to self-associate. H-type and J-type aggregates of R3B in RCMs are spectroscopically characterized, the fluorescent J-aggregates being more extensively formed by decreasing the charge density. Both the reduction in the dye aggregation and the formation of J-type aggregates enhance the fluorescence efficiency of R3B dye adsorbed in montmorillonite particles. Absorption with linearly polarized light reveals that the H-aggregates are more disposed toward the perpendicular of the clay surface than the monomer and J-aggregates species.     

Vibronic states in single molecules: C60 and C70 on ultrathin Al2O3 films

Vibronic states are observed in single C(60) and C(70) molecules by scanning tunneling microscopy. When single fullerene molecules are adsorbed on a thin layer of Al(2)O(3) grown on a NiAl(110) substrate, equally spaced features are observed in the differential conductance (dI/dV), which are clearly resolved in d(2)I/dV(2) spectra. These features are attributed to the vibronic states of the molecule. The vibronic progressions are sensitive to the molecular orientations and can have different spacings in different electronic bands of the same molecule. For C(60,) these vibronic states are associated with the intramolecular A(g) and H(g) vibrational modes. Vibronic states are not resolved in molecules adsorbed on the metal surface. However, inelastic electron tunneling spectroscopy exhibits a vibrational mode at 64 meV for C(60) and 61 meV for C(70) adsorbed on NiAl(110).     

Phase equilibria and surface tension of pure fluids using a molecular layer structure theory (MLST) model

This paper presents a new model based on thermodynamic and molecular interaction between molecules to describe the vapour–liquid phase equilibria and surface tension of pure component. The model assumes that the bulk fluid can be characterised as set of parallel layers. Because of this molecular structure, we coin the model as the molecular layer structure theory (MLST). Each layer has two energetic components. One is the interaction energy of one molecule of that layer with all surrounding layers. The other component is the intra-layer Helmholtz free energy, which accounts for the internal energy and the entropy of that layer. The equilibrium between two separating phases is derived from the minimum of the grand potential, and the surface tension is calculated as the excess of the Helmholtz energy of the system. We test this model with a number of components, argon, krypton, ethane, n-butane, iso-butane, ethylene and sulphur hexafluoride, and the results are very satisfactory.     

Commensurate-incommensurate transition of 4He adsorbed on a single C60 molecule

Path-integral Monte Carlo calculations have been performed to study (4)He adsorption on a single C(60) molecule. Helium corrugations on the fullerene molecular surface are incorporated with the (4)He-C(60) interaction described by the sum of all (4)He-C interatomic pair potentials. Radial density distributions show a layer-by-layer growth of (4)He with the first adlayer being located at a distance of ~6.3 ? from the center of the C(60) molecule. The monolayer shows different quantum states as the number of (4)He adatoms N varies. For N = 32, we find a commensurate solid, with each of the 32 adsorption sites on the molecular surface being occupied by a single (4)He atom. Various domain-wall structures are observed as more (4)He atoms are added and the first layer crystallizes into an incommensurate solid when it is completely filled. This commensurate-incommensurate transition of the helium monolayer is found to be accompanied by re-entrant superfluid response at a low temperature of 0.31 K with the superfluidity being totally quenched at N = 32, 44, and 48. Finally, the different quantum states observed in the helium monolayer around C(60) are compared with phase diagrams proposed for the corresponding layer on a graphite surface.     

Electronic effects induced by single hydrogen atoms on the Ge(001) surface

The properties of an isolated dangling bond formed by the chemisorption of a single hydrogen atom on a dimer of the Ge(001) surface are investigated by first-principles density functional theory (DFT) calculations, and scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) measurements. Two stable atomic configurations of the Ge-Ge-H hemihydride with respect to the neighboring bare Ge-Ge dimers are predicted by DFT. For both configurations, the unpaired electron of the HGe(001) system is found to be delocalized over the surface, rendering the isolated dangling bond of the hemihydride unoccupied. However, local surface charge accumulation, such as may occur during STM imaging, leads to the localization of two electrons onto the hemihydride dangling bond. The calculated surface densities of states for one of the charged Ge-Ge-H hemihydride configurations are found to be in good agreement with atomic-resolution STM measurements on n-type Ge(001). Comparison with a Si-Si-H hemihydride of the Si(001) surface shows similarities in structural properties, but substantial differences in electronic properties.     

Graft polymerization from a silica surface initiated by adsorbed peroxide macroinitiators. I. Adsorption and structure of the adsorbed layer of peroxide macroinitiators on a silica surface

The adsorption features of two peroxide macroinitiators (PMIs) with various functionalities from their semi-dilute solutions on the silica surface were thoroughly investigated in the present work. These investigations include the study of the adsorption kinetics of PMI in diverse solvents and a detailed examination of the adsorbed layer structure with the aid of ellipsometry, scanning force microscopy (SFM), and contact angle measurements. Rearrangements of PMI macromolecules at the solid surface are supposed to be the main reason for the appearance of extremes on the kinetic curves and, besides, have a more pronounceable effect on adsorption rate than their diffusion rate to the surface even at the initial stage of the process. Both island-like and densely packed structures of absorbed layers were revealed by combining contact angle measurements and SFM. Surprisingly, even in the case when saturation of the adsorbed layer is reached, PMI does not completely occupy the substrate surface which is at least particularly reachable for the wetting liquids. PMIs adsorbed at the solid surface are intended for the formation of tethered polymer "brushes" via the initiation of "grafting from" polymerization.     

Effect of the composition and structure of the surface layer on the functional properties of a core(Al2O3)-Shell(VO x /TiO y ) composite

Molecular layering method was used to synthesize vanadium, titanium, and vanadium-titanium oxide structures of various compositions and structures on the surface of γ-Al₂O₃. The systems obtained and the starting aluminum oxide were identified by chemical-analytical and adsorption methods, X-ray diffraction analysis, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The catalytic properties of the products obtained were examined for the example of oxidative dehydrogenation of methanol. It is shown that the reactivity of the samples is affected not only by the concentration of catalytically active vanadium oxide structures, but also by their remoteness from the surface of the starting matrix, controlled by the thickness of the titanium oxide sublayer.     

STM observation of a ruthenium dye adsorbed on a TiO2(110) surface

Individual Ru(4,4'-dicarboxy-2,2'-bipyridine)2(NCS)2 molecules, commonly known as N3, adsorbed on a TiO2 surface were visualized with a scanning tunneling microscope (STM) operated in ultrahigh vacuum. A TiO2(110)-(1 x 1) crystal was taken out from the vacuum vessel and immersed into an acetonitrile solution of N3. A monolayer of pivalate ((CH3)3CCOO-) ions was used to protect the (1 x 1) surface from contamination during the wetting process of the N3 adsorption. The N3 molecules adsorbed on the flat terraces protruded by 0.65 nm from the pivalate monolayer. The image height difference of the admolecules could be understood with the assumption that the N3 molecules anchor to the TiO2 surface via two carboxyl groups. The number density of the N3 molecules on the steps was higher than that on the terraces. The poorly coordinated Ti atoms exposed at the step edges form preferential sites where the carboxyl groups can approach, due to a lower steric obstacle or because the structure of the adsorbed N3 molecules suffers less distortion.     

Electronic excited states of Si(100) and organic molecules adsorbed on Si(100)

The electronically excited states of the Si(100) surface and acetylene, benzene, and 9,10-phenanthrenequinone adsorbed on Si(100) are studied with time-dependent density functional theory. The computational cost of these calculations can be reduced through truncation of the single excitation space. This allows larger cluster models of the surface in conjunction with large adsorbates to be studied. On clean Si(100), the low-lying excitations correspond to transitions between the pi orbitals of the silicon-silicon dimers. These excitations are predicted to occur in the range 0.4-2 eV. When organic molecules are adsorbed on the surface, surface --> molecule, molecule --> surface, and electronic excitations localized within the adsorbate are also observed at higher energies. For acetylene and benzene, the remaining pipi* excitations are found to lie at lower energies than in the corresponding gas-phase species. Even though the aromaticity of 9,10-phenanthrenequinone is retained, significant shifts in the pipi* excitations of the aromatic rings are predicted. This is in part due to structural changes that occur upon adsorption.     

Geometrical,spectroscopic, and magnetic properties of an oxygen atom adsorbed on the Ni(100) surface

Spin-polarized linear combinations of Gaussian-type orbital–model core potential–local spin density (LCGTO –MCP –LSD ) computations have been performed for oxygen chemisorption on a Ni(100) surface simulated by four different clusters. Results show that the oxygen atom chemisorbs preferentially on the fourfold hollow site with an equilibrium distance of 1.931 Å and a vertical vibrational frequency of 401 cm^?1. The corresponding experimental values are 1.960 Å and 423 or 430 cm^?1. A satisfactory agreement with experiment is also found for the adsorption energy (6.7 vs. 5.6 eV). The bridge position lies at only 0.4 eV above the fourfold hollow one. It is found that oxygen adsorption leaves the bare cluster total spin magnetic moment unchanged, but induces appreciable reductions of the local atomic moment on the surface nickel atoms. © 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.