Methanol decomposition on platinum (111)

The interaction of methanol with clean and oxygen-covered Pt(111) surfaces has been examined with high resolution electron loss spectroscopy (EELS) and thermal desorption spectroscopy (TDS). On the clean Pt(111) surface, methanol dehydrogenated above 140 K to form adsorbed carbon monoxide and hydrogen. On a Pt(111)-p(2 × 2)O surface, methanol formed a methoxy species (CH₃O) and adsorbed water. The methoxy species was unstable above 170 K and decomposed to form adsorbed CO and hydrogen. Above room temperature, hydrogen and carbon monoxide desorbed near 360 and 470 K, respectively. The instability of methanol and methoxy groups on the Pt surface is in agreement with the dehydrogenation reaction observed on W, Ru, Pd and Ni surfaces at low pressures. This is in contrast with the higher stability of methoxy groups on silver and copper surfaces, where decomposition to formaldehyde and hydrogen occurs. The hypothesis is proposed that metals with low heats of adsorption of CO and H₂ (Ag, Cu) may selectively form formaldehyde via the methoxy intermediate, whereas other metals with high CO and H₂ chemisorption heats rapidly dehydrogenate methoxy species below room temperature.     

Methanol and formaldehyde molecular states on copper surfaces at 300 K?

In a recent paper, Kojima, Sugihara, Miyazaki and Yasumori concluded that methanol and formaldehyde adsorb molecularly (non-dissociatively) on polycrystalline copper at 300 K. Methanol and methyl formate were also found to produce adsorbed formaldehyde. We demonstrate that the “ formaldehyde” UPS spectrum in their study was incorrectly assigned, and is identical to that of adsorbed formate generated during dissociative exposure of formaldehyde to a Cu(110) surface. We have measured the He II spectra of formaldehyde (120 K) and formate (300 K) on clean Cu(110) and show that they are distinctly different. No evidence is found in the present work for stabilization of molecular formaldehyde, methanol or methyl formate on the Cu(110) surface at 300 K.     

TDS and EELS observations for CO,O2, and CH3OH bound to Ru(0001)/Cu

The electronic properties of monolayers of copper atoms adsorbed onto a Ru(0001) single crystal surface have been studied with thermal desorption spectroscopy (TDS) and high resolution electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS) utilizing carbon monoxide (CO), dioxygen (O₂), methanol (CH₃OH), and to some extent water (H₂O) as chemical probes. Whereas a three-monolayer-thick film exhibits most properties of a Cu(111) crystal distinct deviations are found at lower Cu coverages. TDS as well as EELS show a weakened RuCO bond and a strengthened CuCO bond as a result of metal-metal interaction. The stronger CuCO bond is accompanied by a higher probability for O₂ dissociation. The mobilities of copper and oxygen atoms are such that annealing to 650 K produces an overlayer structure which is independent of adsorption sequence: Cu/O₂ or O₂/Cu, but where RuO as well as CuO vibrations can be identified. Methanol adsorbs reversibly on a monolayer of copper atoms. Metal bound methoxy species are formed in the presence of oxygen atoms. The decomposition paths of such methoxy intermediates alter towards more formaldehyde (CH₂O) relative to CO with increasing copper and methoxy coverages.     

XPS,UPS and thermal desorption studies of alcohol adsorption on Cu(110): I. Methanol

The adsorption of methanol on clean and oxygen dosed Cu(110) surfaces has been studied using temperature programmed reaction spectroscopy (TPRS), ultra-violet photoelectron spectroscopy (UPS) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Methanol was adsorbed on the clean surface at 140 K in monolayer quantities and subsequently desorbed over a broad range of temperature from 140 to 400 K. The UPS He (II) spectra showed the 5 highest lying emissions seen in the gas phase spectrum of methanol with a chemisorption bonding shift of the two highest lying orbitais due to bonding to the surface via the oxygen atom with which these orbitals are primarily associated. A species of quite a different nature was produced by heating this layer to 270 K. Most noticeably the UPS spectrum showed only 3 emissions and the maximum coverage of this state was approximately $\text{1}\text{2}$ monolayer. The data are indicative of the formation of a methoxy species, thus showing that methanol is dissociated on the clean Cu(110) surface at 270 K. The same dissociated species was observed on the oxygen dosed surface, the main difference in this ease being the production of large amounts of H₂CO observed in TPRS at 370 K.     

Adsorption of water and methanol on GaAs(110) surfaces studied by ultraviolet photoemission

UV photoemission spectroscopy (UPS) with He 1 radiation (hν = 21.2 eV) has been used to study the interaction of H₂O and CH₃OH with GaAs(110) surfaces prepared by cleavage in ultrahigh vacuum (UHV). For H₂O two molecularly adsorbed phases can be distinguished at 300 K: at low coverage H₂O is chemisorbed by its oxygen lone-pair orbital to the surface whereas for higher exposures a less perturbed species which resembles more a “physisorbed” or condensed H₂O layer is found. At 180 K only the less perturbed species can be identified. Also CH₃OH is chemisorbed molecularly at lower coverage with its oxygen end to the GaAs surface. For higher exposures two additional emission bands are observed which are interpreted as due to the methoxy radical CH₃O resulting from a partial decomposition of CH₃OH.     

A vibrational and TDS study of sulfur adsorbates on Cu(100): Evidence for CH3S species

Vibrational (EELS) and TDS data for methyl mercaptan (CH₃SH), dimethyl sulfide (CH₃)₂S and dimethyl disulfide (CH₃S)₂ are analyzed to determine the nature of the adsorption states on Cu(100). Dimethyl sulfide is reversibly adsorbed on Cu(100); no dissociation (CS bond breaking) was found. By contrast, methyl mercaptan and dimethyl disulfide dissociate below 300 K to form adsorbed CH₃S (methyl mercaptide) species. Depending on the coverage, two orientations of methyl mercaptide are found: linear and bent. The two different orientations can be distinguished via the surface dipole selection rule by different intensities of the methyl rocking and deformation vibrations. By contrast with the methoxy species, which on Cu(100) decomposes to formaldehyde, no H₂C=S is liberated during decomposition of CH₃S. The mercaptide is stable to ∼ 350 K, but decomposes at higher temperatures to form adsorbed sulfur and recombinant methane, hydrogen and ethane. The methane appears to be formed by methyl-hydrogen recombination when the C-S bond scission occurs. TDS results show that sulfur released from the decomposition poisons the surface toward further adsorption. In addition, the selectivity toward methane versus ethane can be altered by pre-titrating the adsorbed hydrogen with oxygen, thereby changing the relative methyl-hydrogen and methyl-methyl recombination probabilities.     

Structural studies of formate and methoxy groups on the Cu(100) surface using NEXAFS and SEXAFS

Local chemisorption geometries of formate (HCO₂) and methoxy (CH₃O) groups on Cu(100) were examined by means of surface extended (SEXAFS) and near-edge X-ray absorption fine structure (NEXAFS) measurements above the O K edge. At 300 K the oxygen of the formate group are equivalent and asymmetrically located near the four-fold hollow site yielding two CuO distances between 2.31 and 2.45 Å. These distances are at least 0.3 Å longer than typical CuO distances of surface and bulk compounds due to a Cu-C steric interaction. The CO bonds and the OCO angle of the formate are estimated to be $\text{1.27 ± 0.04}\text{A}\text{?}$ and 127 ± 7°, respectively. At 200 K the methoxy group has a CuO distance of $\text{1.97 ± 0.05}\text{A}\text{?}$ and the CO axis is tilted with respect to the surface normal. The exact chemisorption site of the methoxy goup could not be determined, but the atop site is ruled-out.     

Adsorption and reaction of formaldehyde on thin-film cerium oxide

Formaldehyde adsorption and reaction have been studied on cerium oxide thin films that were vapor deposited on Ru(0 0 0 1). The formaldehyde behavior was examined as a function of temperature, exposure and Ce oxidation state. Formaldehyde chemisorbs on fully oxidized CeO₂ as dioxymethylene, CH₂O₂. The dioxymethylene decomposes and desorbs as formaldehyde between 200 K and 400 K. No other products are formed. On reduced ceria, formaldehyde also adsorbs as dioxymethylene. In addition to the formaldehyde desorption between 200 K and 400 K, a more strongly bound form of dioxymethylene is formed that produces formaldehyde at 440 K. Above 400 K, some of the dioxymethylene reacts to form formate and methoxy on the surface. These species decompose to produce H₂, CO and CH₂O above 500 K.     

The adsorption of water on clean and oxygen covered Cu(110)

The water adsorption on clean and oxygen precovered Cu(110) surfaces is studied by means of UPS, LEED, work function measurements and ELS. At 90 K on the clean surface molecular water adsorption is indicated by UPS. The H₂O molecules are bonded at the oxygen end and the H-O-H angle is increased as compared with the free molecule. In the temperature range between 90 and 300 K distorted H₂O molecules and adsorbed hydroxyl species (OH) are detected, which are desorbed at room temperature. On an oxygen covered surface hydroxyl groups are formed by dissociation of adsorbed water molecules at a lower temperature than on the clean surface. Multilayers of condensed water are found below 140 K in both cases.     

Characterization of the adsorption and decomposition of methanol on Ni(110)

The chemisorption, condensation, desorption, and decomposition of methanol, both CH₃OH and CH₃OD, on a clean Ni(110) surface have been characterized using high resolution electron energy loss spectroscopy, temperature programmed reaction spectroscopy, and low energy electron diffraction. The vibrational spectrum of the saturated chemisorbed layer, 7.4 × 10¹⁴ molecules cm^?2, is almost identical to the infrared spectrum of liquid or solid methanol. Condensation of multilayers of methanol is facile at 80 K. The only quasi-stable intermediate isolated during the decomposition is a methoxy species, CH₃O, which decomposes thermally to CO and H. The evolution of both CO and H₂ occurs in desorption limited processes.     

The adsorption and reaction of Acetonitrile on clean and oxygen covered Ag(110) surfaces

The adsorption and reaction of acetonitrile (CH₃CN) on clean and oxygen covered Ag(110) surfaces has been studied using temperature programmed reaction spectroscopy (TPRS), isotope exchange, chemical displacement reactions and high resolution electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS). On the clean Ag(110) surface, CH₃CN was reversibly adsorbed, desorbing with an activation energy of 10 kcal mol^-1 at 166 K from a monolayer state and at 158 K from a multilayer state. Vibrational spectra of multilayer, monolayer and sub-monolayer CH₃CN were in excellent agreement with that of gas phase CH₃CN indicating that CH₃CN is only weakly bonded to the clean Ag(110) surface. On the partially oxidized surface CH₃CN reacts with atomic oxygen to form adsorbed CH₂CN, OH and H₂O in addition to forming another molecular adsorption state with a desorption peak at 240 K. This molecular state shows a CN stretching frequency of 1840 cm^-1, which is indicative of substantial rehybridization of the CN bond and is associated with side-on coordination via the π system. The CH₂CN species is stable up to 430 K, where C-H bond breaking and reformation begins, leading to the formation of CH₃CN at 480 K and HCN at 510 K and leaving only carbon on the surface. In the presence of excess oxygen atoms C-H bond breaking and reformation is more facile leading to additional desorption peaks for CH₃CN and H₂O at 420 K. This destabilizing effect of O_(a) on Ch₂CN_(a) is explained in terms of an anionic (CH₂CN^-1) species. Comparison of the vibrational spectra from CH₂CN_(a) and CD₂CN_(a) supports the following assignment for the modes of adsorbed CH₂CN: ν(Ag-C) 215: δ(CCN) 545; ϱ_t(CH₂) 695; ϱ_w(CH₂) 850; ν(C-C) 960; ϱ_r(CH₂) 1060; δ(CH₂) 1375; ν(CN) 2075; and ν(CH₂) 2940 cm^-1. These results serve to further indicate the wide applicability of the acid-base reaction concept for reactions between gas phase Brönsted acids and adsorbed oxygen atoms on solver surfaces.     

Reactivity of carbon dioxide at nickel (110)

Adsorption and reactivity of carbon dioxide at the clean and oxygen precovered Ni(110) surface has been studied by means of EELS and LEED. On the clean surface two different types of CO₂ molecules have been observed by EELS at 135 K, one being the undisturbed linear configuration. With increasing temperature the linear molecule changes into a different species which precedes dissociation at 220 K into CO and O. EELS and LEED data of the intermediate species support the assumption that it is a bent CO⁻₂ anion adsorbed in C_2v symmetry with twofold oxygen coordination to the surface. Oxygen preadsorption stabilizes the linear CO₂ molecule up to higher temperatures which does not convert into a bent species in this case. Instead, a reaction product of CO₂ and O is found and interpreted as a carbonate species.     

Photoemission studies of H2S,H2 and S adsorbed on Ru(110): Evidence for an adsorbed SH species

H₂S, H₂ and S adsorbed on Ru(110) have been studied by angle-integrated ultraviolet photoemission (UPS) as part of a study of the effect of adsorbed sulfur, a common catalytic poison, on this Ru surface. For low exposures of H₂S at 80 K, the work function rises to a value 0.16 eV above that of clean Ru(110) while the associated UPS spectra (hν = 21.2 eV) exhibit features similar to those of H(ads) and S(ads) and different from those of molecular H₂S. We conclude that H₂S dissociates completely at low coverages on Ru(110) at 80 K. At intermediate exposures the work function drops and the UPS spectra show new features which are attributed to the presence of an adsorbed SH species. This appears to be the first direct observation of this surface complex. At higher exposures the work function saturates at a value 0.36 eV below the clean value; the UPS spectra change markedly and indicate the adsorption of molecular H₂S. Heating adsorbed H₂S leaves a stable layer of S(ads) on Ru(110). The surface with adsorbed sulfur strongly modifies the adsorption at 80 K of a number of molecules relative to the clean Ru(110) surface.     

The oxidation of H2CO on a copper(110) surface

The oxidation of H₂C¹⁶O by adsorbed ¹⁸O was studied on an Cu(110) sample by temperature programmed reaction spectroscopy. Formaldehyde exchanged its oxygen with surface ¹⁸O upon adsorption to yield H₂C¹⁸O_(a) and ¹⁶O_(a). Formaldehyde was also oxidized by surface ¹⁶O and ¹⁸O atoms to H₂COO which subsequently released one of the hydrogen atoms to form HCOO. The evolution of H₂ from the Cu(110) surface was desorption limited, and the low pre-exponential factor for the recombination of the surface hydrogen atoms suggested stringent requirement on the trajectories of the colliding partners. The formate was very stable and dissociated at elevated temperatures to simultaneously yield H₂ and CO₂. The surface concentration of ¹⁸O exerted a pronounced affect on the activity of the oxidation of formaldehyde on Cu(110).     

Identification of adsorbed species at metal surfaces by electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS)

Electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS) is a surface analysis method for measuring vibrational spectra of adsorbed species on metal surfaces. This paper summarizes recent work on the study of bonding of simple adsorbates on metal surfaces, and the identification of new chemical intermediates in reactions between two or more species in the adsorbed monolayer. The spectra of atomic oxygen, di-oxygen, water and ammonia adsorbed on platinum, copper and silver are discussed with emphasis on identification of the adsorbed species and their orientations relative to the surface plane. Surface reactions between atomic oxygen and water, methanol and formic acid yield the new surface intermediates hydroxyl (OH), methoxy (CH₃O) and formate (HCOO), respectively, on copper and silver surfaces. Each species was identified by comparison of surface spectra with known infrared spectra and through the use of deuterium isotopic shifts. The ability to identify and distinguish between chemical species at surfaces with high sensitivity will allow direct correlation of low pressure UHV surface experiments with high pressure surface reactions on catalysts and liquid-solid interfaces.     

A study of the relative brönsted acidities of surface complexes on Ag(110)

The relative acidities of a number of Brönsted acids have been established on the Ag(110) surface under UHV conditions. For acids which react completely with adsorbed oxygen atoms on this surface to form H₂O, relative acidities were determined by means of acid-base titration reactions. Adsorbed species such as carboxylates, alkoxides, etc., were formed by reaction of the parent acids with O(a) and then displaced from the surface by titration with stronger acids. Relative acidities of the acids which did not react to completion with O(a) were established on the basis of their relative extents of reaction. The relative acidity scale on Ag(110), according to the reaction BH(g) + B'(a) B'H(g) + B(a) was found to be HCOOH ≈ CH₃COOH>C₂H₅OH> C₂H₂>CH₃OH>C₃H₆, H₂O>C₂H₄, C₂H₆, H₂. This order is in excellent agreement with the acidity scale for these species in the gas phase according to BH(g)B^?(g) + H⁺ (g); it cannot be explained by aqueous dissociation constants or homolytic bond dissociation energies. This result is in accord with the appreciable anionic character of the adsorbed species, since the electron affinity of the base, B, is a strong thermodynamic factor in the acidity in the gas phase. Both XPS and UPS results for adsorbed species on the Ag(110) surface are consistent with this interpretation.     

A spectroscopic study of the coordination of dimethyl sulfoxide to a platinum (111) surface

Spectroscopic studies of the adsorption of dimethyl sulfoxide, (CH₃)₂S = O, on Pt(111) have shown that the molecule is bound to the surface via the sulfur atom in an inverted pyramid configuration. A comparison of XPS and EELS data for the adsorbed multilayer and monolayer with XPS and infrared data on the complex PtCl₂(DMSO)₂ is consistent with sulfur bonding. In addition, we detect a considerable increase of the v(S=O) frequency in the DMSO monolayer with decreasing coverage, indicating a coverage dependent heat of adsorption. UPS data show that on adsorption to form a monolayer, the highest occupied molecular orbital of DMSO, presumably the sulfur “lone pair” orbital, shifts to a higher binding energy. These results show a remarkable similarity between DMSO bonding to a metal surface and bonding to a single Pt²⁺ species.     

EELS of methane physisorbed on NaCl(100)

EELS spectra of CH₄, CD₄ and CH₂D₂ physisorbed on NaCl(100) at 40 K are presented. For the clean NaCl surface, increasing the incident beam energy to the 30 to 50 eV range is sufficient to overcome charging effects. However, when adsorbate is present charging prevents extended signal averaging. All methane modes appear to contribute to the EELS spectra. Loss peaks corresponding to adsorbate vibrations are very broad (400 to 600 cm⁻¹, FWHH), the low resolution being probably due to a combination of effects including surface disorder, scattering of electrons by gas phase molecules and charging effects.     

Adsorption of ethylene on clean and oxygen precovered Cu(110) surfaces

UV photoemission spectroscopy (UPS) with He I and He II radiation is used to study the interaction of C₂H₄ with clean and oxygen precovered Cu(110) surfaces at 90 K. On the clean surface only-bonding of the C₂H₄ molecules is observed whereas preadsorbed oxygen causes a second molecular orbital to be involved in the chemisorption. This result is consistent with the differing behaviour of the work function change during thermal desorption of C₂H₄.     

Core hole screening and lifetimes in adsorbates on metallic surfaces

The C 1s photoemission lineshape and width has been studied for methoxy (CH₃O), formate (HCO₂) and CO on Cu(100). We find the Doniach-Sunjic asymmetry of the lineshape to be different for the three adsorbates and correlate these differences with the adsorption geometry. The observed shake up satellites exhibit a greatly increased width compared to the main lines, which is attributed to the reduced lifetime of the excited state of the C 1s core hole.