Strain-induced disordering of metal surfaces: rapid laser heating of Rh{111} and Rh{332}

Laser-induced disordering of clean and adsorbate covered rhodium surfaces has been studied by LEED and by laser-induced thermal desorption (LITD) of deuterium. Excimer laser (308 nm) pulses with 120 ns duration and intensities between 35 and 85 MW cm⁻² were applied, covering a regime commonly used in LITD studies. Rh{111} is more resistant to disordering than Rh{332], a surface made up of six-atom-wide {111} terraces separated by monatomic steps, consistent with a decrease in the activation energy for disordering due to steps from 59 to 39 kJ mol⁻¹. Onset temperatures for disordering are estimated as 954 K ({111}) and 700 K ({332}). No “protective” effect was found for adsorbate monolayers of oxygen and carbon monoxide. A simple stress-strain model provides an understanding of elastic and plastic deformation during short pulse laser heating and rapid cooling. Some guidelines for reducing damage in LITD experiments are given.     

Chemisorption and reactivity of furan on Pd{111}

XPS, HREELS, ARUPS and Δø data show that furan chemisorbs non-dissociatively on Pd{111} at 175 K, the molecular plane being significantly tilted with respect to the surface normal. Bonding involves both the oxygen lone pair and significant π interaction with the substrate. The degree of decomposition that accompanies molecular desorption is a strong function of coverage: 40% of the adsorbate desorbs molecularly from the saturated monolayer. Decomposition occurs via decarbonylation to yield CO_a and H_a followed by desorption rate limited loss of H₂ and CO. It seems probable that an adsorbed C₃H₃ species formed during this process undergoes subsequent stepwise dehydrogenation ultimately yielding H₂ and C_a.     

O2 interaction with Pt{100}-hex-R0.7°: scattering, sticking and saturating

The interaction of oxygen with the Pt{100}-hex-R0.7° surface has been studied using supersonic molecular beams at incident translational energies from 0.06 to 0.9 eV and surface temperatures from 300 to 600 K. Scattering measurements show the existence of both intrinsic and extrinsic precursor states, and the trapping probability into these states is high at low incident energies. However, sticking probability measurements on the clean surface indicate that O₂ dissociative adsorption on Pt{100}-hex-R0.7° is a direct activated process, in contrast to that on Pt{100}-(1 × 1) or Pt{111}. Strong temperature enhancement of the initial sticking probability has been observed and accounted for partly by a dynamical barrier model. The sticking probability varies strongly with oxygen coverage, which is explained through computer simulations of island formation. The formation of small islands is demonstrated by TEAS measurements. Thermal desorption measurements show that, at high incident energies above 0.5 eV, new states are populated and higher coverages, up to a full monolayer, are reached.     

Photoelectron diffraction study of a catalytically active overlayer: C2H2 on Pd{111}

A quantitative structure determination of a newly discovered (2×2) adsorption phase of acetylene chemisorbed on Pd{111} has been performed by scanned-energy mode photoelectron diffraction: this phase corresponds to the threshold coverage for the catalytic conversion of acetylene to benzene. The carbon atoms in the C₂H₂ molecule are located almost over bridge sites with a C–C bond length of 1.34+0.10 Å, the centre of the molecule being positioned almost over a hollow site. Of the two hollow sites the hcp site (directly above a second layer Pd atom) is favoured, particularly by a subset of the data most sensitive to this aspect of the structure, but the full analysis indicates that the fcc site (above a third layer Pd atom) cannot formally be excluded. The adsorption site adopted by acetylene in the higher coverage phase on Pd{111} is essentially identical. This is the dominant structure in the coverage regime which is catalytically active for the conversion of acetylene to benzene. The implications of these findings for acetylene coupling reactions over Pd{111} are discussed.     

On the controversial magnetic properties of the schiff-base metal-organic polymer {[Fe(C13H17N3)2]SO4·6H2O}n

Within the search for magnetic ordering in organic and metal-organic compounds, the polymeric material of formula {[Fe(C₁₃H₁₇N₃)₂]SO₄·6H₂O}_n has been extensively studied by magnetic measurements. Our results show a basic agreement with the previous ones. Nevertheless, our study, including more data, leads to an interpretation in terms of superparamagnetism rather than metamagnetism as was previously reported.     

Coverage dependent promoter action: K coadsorption and reactions with CO and CO2 on Pd{1 1 0}

The adsorption of CO and CO₂ on K-predosed Pd{1 1 0} at room temperature has been examined via reflection–absorption infrared spectroscopy (RAIRS). CO₂ adsorbs on 0.37 ML K-predosed Pd{1 1 0} with high sticking probability and a reactive chemisorbed intermediate, CO₂⁻, is detected in RAIRS at room temperature. Reaction of this species ultimately yields carbonate. The same high K precoverage induces dissociation of CO at low CO exposure. Carbonate is detected at higher CO exposure and is probably produced via stepwise oxidation of molecularly adsorbed CO. In contrast at low K precoverage (0.11 ML), CO remains intact but the C–O bond is considerably weakened with respect to CO chemisorbed on clean Pd{1 1 0}. These findings illustrate a dual promoter mechanism of K in the adsorption and reaction of CO or CO₂ at high K coverage. The alkali metal induces dissociation of these molecules and directly participates in the formation of a surface compound, K₂CO₃.     

Auger electron spectroscopy and electron energy loss spectroscopy studies on carbonization of Si(100) and (111) surfaces with ethylene

The reactions of Si(100) and Si(111) surfaces at 700 °C (973 K) with ethylene (C₂H₄) at a pressure of 1.3×10⁻⁴ Pa for various periods of time were studied by using Auger electron spectroscopy (AES) and electron energy loss spectroscopy (ELS). For a C₂H₄ exposure level, the amount of C on the (111) surface was larger than that on the (100) surface. The formation of β-SiC grain was deduced by comparing the C_KLL spectra from the sample subjected to various C₂H₄ exposure levels, and from β-SiC crystal.     

Steps and facets on annealed LaAlO3{100} and {110} surfaces

Lanthanum-aluminate (LaAlO₃) is one of the optimum substrates for epitaxic growth of thin oxide films. In this paper, the structures of the {100} and {110} surfaces of annealed LaAlO₃ are studied using reflection electron microscopy (REM). 010 steps have been observed on {100}, these are the lowest energy steps. The {100} surface is atomically flat, but the {110} surfaces exhibit high-density fine structures distributed on large surface terraces. These fine structures correspond to the formation of small width (100) and (010) facets on the (110) surface. A growth model is given to interpret the formation of large steps and large terraces on the {110} surfaces.     

Kinetics of the C2H2 dissociation on Ni(111): A HREELS study

The C₂H₂ isothermal dissociation rate on Ni(111) was measured by following, with HREEL spectroscopy, the intensity of the CH stretching peak as a function of time. By repeating the experiment at several different temperatures we have obtained an activation energy of 1.2 ± 0.1 eV/molecule and a pre-exponential factor of 10^14±1 s⁻¹ for the first step of the C₂H₂ dissociation reaction.     

N2H4在NiFe(111)合金表面吸附稳定性和电子结构的第一性原理研究

采用基于色散校正的密度泛函理论进行了第一性原理研究, 详细分析了肼(N₂H₄)在Ni₈Fe₈/Ni(111)合金表面稳定吸附构型的吸附稳定性和电子结构及成键性质. 通过比较发现, 肼分子以桥接方式吸附在表面的两个Fe原子上是最稳定的吸附构型, 其吸附能为-1.578 eV/N₂H₄. 同时发现, 肼分子在这一表面上吸附稳定性的趋势为: 桥位比顶位吸附更有利, 且在Fe原子上比在Ni原子上的吸附作用更强. 进一步分析了不同吸附位点上稳定吸附构型的电子结构、电荷密度转移以及电子局域化情况. 结果发现: 相同吸附位点的电子态密度图基本一致, 并且N原子的p轨道和与之相互作用的表面原子的d轨道之间存在态密度上的重叠; 吸附后电荷密度则主要从肼分子转移到表面原子之上; 在电子局域化函数切面图中也发现吸附后电子被局域到肼分子的N原子和相邻的表面原子之间. 这些电子结构的表征都充分说明肼分子与表面原子之间通过电荷转移形成了强烈的配位共价作用.     

不同覆盖度下丙硫醇在Au(111)面吸附的理论研究

采用基于密度泛函理论的第一性原理方法研究了丙烷硫醇 (C₃H₇SH)在Au(111)面五种覆盖度(1/16, 2/16, 3/16, 4/16, 1/3) 下的未解离和解离吸附的结构、能量和吸附性质. 发现丙烷硫醇的倾斜角和吸附能均受覆盖度影响, 计算结果显示丙烷硫醇的倾斜角随着覆盖度的增大减小了6°–10°, 吸附能随覆盖度的增大减小了0.21 eV. 特别针对饱和覆盖度, 研究了三种可能的表面结构: (2√3×2√3 ight)R30°, 2√3×3和(3×3). 发现S–H键未解离时三种表面结构的吸附构型和吸附能基本一致; S–H键解离后, (2√3×2√3 ight)R30°和2√3×3结构的吸附能比以(3×3)结构的吸附能约高0.05–0.07 eV, 说明C₃H₇S在Au(111)面吸附时, 倾向于形成(2√3×2√3 ight)R30°和2√3×3结构. 此外, 采用DFT-D2方法对饱和覆盖度下C₃H₇SH分子在Au(111)面的吸附进行了范德华修正, 结果显示分子间相互作用使吸附物和Au表面的距离减小, 该相互作用对吸附能的修正值为0.53 eV, 修正后结果与实验结果接近. 关键词： 第一性原理 覆盖度 表面结构 范德华力     

Tunneling magnetoresistance of C2H2 molecules sandwiched between Co clusters

The tunneling magnetoresistance (TMR) of samples containing well-defined Co clusters (≈4.5 nm mean diameter) embedded in C₂H₂ matrices essentially is independent of Co-cluster volume fraction v_Co and reveals a value of about 26% at T=2 K. This result is in contrast to that obtained for Co clusters embedded in C₂H₄ matrices (Phys. Rev. B 67 (2003) 094433). In the latter system the TMR strongly decreased with increasing v_Co indicating different possible orientation of the C₂H₄ molecule sandwiched between the Co clusters. We, therefore, conclude that the C₂H₂ molecules are sandwiched in a rather well-defined orientation between the Co clusters. They probably form double layers of C₂H₂ molecules with the C–C bond axis parallel to the Co cluster surface.     

Adsorption and desorption of no from Rh{111} and Rh{331} surfaces

The adsorption and desorption chemistry of NO on the clean Rh{111} and Rh{331} single crystal surfaces was followed with SIMS, XPS, and LEED. Results suggest dissociative NO adsorption occurs at step and/or defect sites. At saturation coverage there was ～ 10 times more dissociated species on the Rh{331} surface at 300 K than on the Rh{111} surface. On both surfaces two molecular states of NO_ads have been identified as β₁, and β₂ which possess different chemical reactivity. Under the condition of saturation coverage the β₁ and β₂ states are populated on the Rh{111} surface in a different proportion than on the Rh{331} surface. Further, their population on both surfaces is coverage and temperature dependent. When the sample is heated to desorb the saturation overlayer formed on the Rh{111} and Rh{331} crystal surfaces, approximately 50% of the overlayer is found to desorb below ? 400 K primarily from the β₂ state, molecularly as NO(g). Between 300 and 400 K the β₁ state dissociates as binding sites necessary to coordinate N_ads and O_ads are freed by desorption of NO(g).     

Adsorption and dissociation of Si2H6 on Ge(001)2 × 1

Adsorption and thermally-induced dissociation of disilane (Si₂H₆) on clean Ge(001)2 × 1 surfaces have been investigated using a combination of Auger electron spectroscopy (AES), electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS), reflection high-energy electron diffraction (RHEED), and scanning tunneling microscopy (STM). With initial Si₂H₆ exposure at room temperature, the Si surface coverage increased monotonically, the EELS surface dangling bond peak intensities continuously decreased, and the intensity of half-order RHEED diffraction rods decreased. The low-coverage Si₂H₆ sticking probability at 300 K on Ge(001) was found to be 0.5 while the saturation coverage was 0.5 ML. A new EELS feature, GSH, involving Si-H and Ge-H bond states was observed at Si₂H₆ exposures φ 3.4 × 10¹³ cm⁻². In contrast to Si₂H₆ -saturated Si(001), the saturated Ge(001) surface significant fraction of dimerized bonds. Adsorbed overlayers were highly disordered with the primary species on saturated surfaces being SiH₂, GeH, and undissociated SiH₃· Si₂H₆-saturated Ge(001)2 × 1 substrates were annealed for l min at temperatures T_a between 425 and 825 K. Admolecules were mobile at T_a = 545 K giving rise to significant ordering in one-dimensional chains. By T_a = 605 K, essentially all of the admolecules were captured into coarsened islands. Dangling-bond EELS peaks reappeared by 625 K and the intensities of the half-order RHEED diffraction rods increased. Ge segregation to the surface, which began at T_a 625 K, occurred rapidly at T_a 675 K. All H was desorbed by 725 K.     

Surface structure studies of Cl adsorption on Ag{001} using energetic ion beams

Angle-resolved SIMS experiments have been employed to study the bonding geometry of Cl on Ag{001}. The procedure was to bombard the target with 2 or 3 keV Ar⁺ ions in the low dose mode at various incident angles and to measure the desorption of Ag⁺ or Cl⁻ ions at various detection angles. For the case of the c(2 × 2)-Cl/Ag{001} structure, azimuthal angle distributions of both Ag⁺ and Cl⁻ ions indicate that the Cl atom binds in the four-fold hollow site. Measurement of the polar angle distributions suggests that the Cl overlayer is above the surface plane, ruling out the formation of an epitaxial AgCl layer. The Ag---Cl bond-length was determined to be 2.60 ± 0.04 Å using shadow-cone enhanced desorption. With this measurement the angle of incidence of the ion beam is varied until the shadow-cone created by a target Cl atom intersects a nearby Ag atom. The result is in agreement with earlier LEED experiments.     

Influence of the ferroelastic twin domain structure on the {100} surface morphology of LaAlO3 HTSC substrates

LaAlO₃ crystals have been investigated with differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), high-precision X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) and scanning force microscopy (SFM). The DSC measurements show the second-order phase transition of LaAlO₃ at 544°C, where LaAlO₃ changes its symmetry from the cubic Pm3m high-temperature phase to the pseudocubic rhombohedral low-temperature phase. This paraelastic to improper ferroelastic phase transition causes twinning in the {100} and {110} planes of the pseudocubic lattice. The twin angles between the surface {100}_pseudocubic planes of twin domains were measured by SFM on the surface of a macroscopic (100)_cubic cut crystal plate. The misorientation angle ω₁₀₀ between {100} twins is 0.195(8)°, while {110} twinning gives an angle of ω₁₁₀=0.276(7)°. The two twin kink angles correspond to a rhombohedral angle of the pseudocubic cell of the phase as ₁=90.0973(40)° and ₂=90.0975(30)°, respectively. The XRD result for this rhombohedral angle is =90.096(1)°. The orientation of the misfit steps formed during annealing after mechanical surface polishing depends on the domain orientation and pattern during polishing. Any heating close to or above T_c changes the domain pattern. Footprints of previous domain patterns can thus be found on the surface in the form of surface corrugation and changes in the shape and orientation of misfit steps.     

Reactions of π-allyl with atomic oxygen and hydroxyl on Ag(110)

The oxidation of the adsorbed π-allyl (η³-C₃H₅), prepared on atomic oxygen- and hydroxyl-covered Ag(110) by dissociation of allyl chloride (C₃H₅Cl), is investigated with temperature-programmed desorption and high-resolution electron energy loss spectroscopy. Allyl chloride adsorbs molecularly on oxygen-covered Ag(110) at 110 K. Upon heating to 180 K, some allyl chloride dissociates to form π-allyl and atomic chlorine, and the remainder desorbs molecularly. The π-allyl undergoes combustion to form hydroxyl or carbonate until all of the free oxygen is consumed by 200 K. Migratory insertion of hydroxyl into excess π-allyl commences near 220 and finishes by 250 K, forming adsorbed allyl alcohol (C₃H₅OH), which reacts either with excess hydroxyl near 240 K to form allyl alkoxy (η¹(O)-C₃H₅O) and water, or with π-allyl at 250 K to form allyl alkoxy and propylene (C₃H₆). Th allyl alkoxy evolves acrolein (C₃H₄O) by β-hydrogen elimination near 285 K, and propylene is evolved concurrently as the hydrogen released by this reaction rapidly scavenges π-allyl. Finally, the remaining π-allyl dimerizes to form 1,5-hexadiene (C₆H₁₀), which desorbs at 315 K. The gross observations of reaction pathways and temperatures are used to evaluate important aspects of the thermochemistry of these reactions.     

The structure of C60 and endohedral C60 on the Si{1 0 0} surface

The possible structures of C₆₀ on the Si{1 0 0} surface in the four dimer position over the dimer trench have been investigated using ab initio total energy minimisations. Four possible structures have been found. The fullerenes bond to the silicon surface by breaking carbon–carbon double bonds. One electron from the broken bond is contributed to the carbon–silicon bond. The second electron is involved in forming a new π-bond within the fullerene cage. The carbon–silicon bond is primarily covalent with some charge transfer. Some discussion of endohedral fullerenes is also given.     

Effects of potassium on the adsorption and dissociation of CH3Cl on Pd(100)

The effects of potassium on the adsorption and dissociation of CH₃Cl on a Pd(100) surface has been investigated by ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy (UPS), Auger electron spectroscopy (AES), electron energy loss spectroscopy (in the electronic range EELS), temperature-programmed desorption (TPD) and work function change. In contrast to the clean surface, the adsorption of CH₃Cl caused a significant work function increase, 0.9-1.4 eV, of potassium-dosed Pd. Preadsorbed K enhanced the binding energy of CH₃C1 to the surface and induced the dissociation of adsorbed molecules. The extent of the dissociation increased almost linearly with the potassium content. The appearance of a new emission in the UPS spectrum at 9.2 eV, attributed to adsorbed CH₃ species, and the low-temperature formation of ethane suggest that a fraction of adsorbed CH₃Cl dissociates even at 115–125 K on potassium-dosed Pd(100). At the same time, a significant part of adsorbed CH₃ radical is stabilized, the reaction of which occurs only at 250–300 K. By means of TPD measurements, H₂, CH₄, C₂H₆, C₂H₄, KCl and K were detected in the desorbing gases. The results are interpreted by assuming a through-metal electronic interaction at low potassium coverage and by a direct interaction of the Cl in the adsorbed CH₃Cl with potassium at high potassium coverage. The latter proposal is supported by the electron excited Auger fine structure of the Cl signal and by the formation of KCl in the desorbing gases.