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.     

The oxidation of methanol on a silver (110) catalyst

The oxidation of methanol was studied on a Ag(110) single-crystal by temperature programmed reaction spectroscopy. The Ag(110) surface was preoxidized with oxygen-18, and deuterated methanol, CH₃OD, was used to distinguish the hydroxyl hydrogen from the methyl hydrogens. Very little methanol chemisorbed on the oxygen-free Ag(110) surface, and the ability of the silver surface to dissociatively chemisorb methanol was greatly enhanced by surface oxygen. CH₃OD was selectively oxidized upon adsorption at 180 K to adsorbed CH₃O and D₂¹⁸O, and at high coverages the D₂¹⁸O was displaced from the Ag(110) surface. The methoxide species was the most abundant surface intermediate and decomposed via reaction channels at 250, 300 and 340 K to H₂CO and hydrogen. Adsorbed H₂CO also reacted with adsorbed CH₃O to form H₂COOCH₃which subsequently yielded HCOOCH₃ and hydrogen. The first-order rate constant for the dehydrogenation of D₂COOCH₃ to DCOOCH₃ and deuterium was found to be (2.4 ± 2.0) × 10¹¹ exp(?14.0 ± 0.5 $\text{kcal}\text{mole}$ · RT)sec^?1. This reaction is analogous to alkoxide transfer from metal alkoxides to aldehydes in the liquid phase. Excess surface oxygen atoms on the silver substrate resulted in the further oxidation of adsorbed H₂CO to carbon dioxide and water. The oxidation of methanol on Ag(110) is compared to the previous study on Cu(110).     

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.     

Thermal evolution of acetylene and ethylene on Pd(111)

The thermal evolution of acetylene and ethylene and their deuterated counterparts on a palladium (111) surface has been studied by high-resolution electron energy loss spectroscopy in the temperature range 150–500 K. Analysis of the vibrational spectra indicates that chemisorbed acetylene evolves at 300 K in the presence of surface hydrogen to mainly ethylidyne, CCH₃, and a small amount of residual acetylene. Spectra obtained with and without preadsorbed hydrogen provide evidence for a 〉C CH₂ intermediate in the reaction. Chemisorbed ethylene also evolves to ethylidyne after heating from 150 to 300 K but much of the ethylene desorbs. The high temperature (400–500 K) behavior of C₂H₂ and C₂H₄ involves formation of a CH species. Although a small amount of the CH species may be formed from the dehydrogenation of ethylidyne, it is found that carbon-carbon bond scission of acetylene near 400 K is the dominant mechanism in CH formation.     

Chemisorption and decomposition reactions of oxygen-containing organic molecules on clean Pd surfaces studied by UV photoemission

We have used uv photoeinission (primarily at a photon energy hv = 40.8 eV) to study chemisorption and decomposition reactions of small oxygen-containing organic molecules on clean polycrystalline Pd surfaces at 120 and 300 K. These molecules include methanol (CH₃OH), dimethyl ether (CH₃OCH₃) formaldehyde (H₂CO), acetaldehyde [H(CH₃)CO], and acetone [(CH₃)₂CO]. Chemisorption bonding of these molecules to the Pd surface occurs primarily through the lone-pair orbitais associated with the oxygen atoms, as evidenced by chemical bonding shifts of these orbitais toward larger electron binding energy relative to the other adsorbate valence orbitals. At 300 K all the molecules studied decompose on the surface, resulting in chemisorbed CO. Since chemisorbed (as well as condensed) phases of some of these molecules (CH₃OH and H(CH₃)CO) are observed at low temperature, the decomposition to CO is a thermally-activated reaction. The observed orbital shifts associated with chemisorption bonding are used to make rough estimates of interaction strengths and chemisorption bond energies (within the framework of Mulliken's theory of electron donor-acceptor complexes as applied to chemisorption by Grimley). The resulting heats of chemisorption are consistent with the observed surface reactions.     

The adsorption of nitrogen dioxide on the Ag(110) surface and formation of a surface nitrate

The adsorption of NO₂ on the Ag(110) surface has been characterized by temperature programmed reaction spectroscopy and high resolution electron energy loss spectroscopy. At 95 K the NO₂ is dimerized to N₂O₄ in a multilayer and a distinct molecular layer, both of which desorb below 200 K. The first adsorption layer contains chemisorbed NO₂ and NO₃, the latter formed by a reaction between NO₂ and its decomposition products. Part of the NO₂ is molecularly chemisorbed via the oxygen atoms with a proposed symmetric bidentate geometry, desorbing at 270 K. Nitrogen dioxide also undergoes partial dissociation to nitrogen and oxygen adatoms. An NO₃ species is formed by the reaction of NO₂ with the oxygen adatoms produced from the partial dissociation of NO₂. The NO₃ is attached to the surface via one oxygen atom and has C_2v symmetry; it decomposes below 500 K. The geometry of both the chemisorbed NO₂ and NO₃ have analogues among inorganic metal complexes.     

The surface chemistry of methyl and methylene radicals adsorbed on Cu(111)

The interactions of methyl and methylene radicals on Cu(111) were investigated with XPS, AES and HREELS under various exposure conditions. The CH₂ and CH₃ radicals are generated through a hot nozzle source with ketene and azomethane gases. It is shown that with substrate at 300 K, the impinging CH₃ radicals are trapped mainly as CH₃(ads), while a part of the adsorbate decomposes to form CH₂(ads) and H(ads). H atoms are found to desorb at about 380 K, while the chemisorbed hydrocarbon adspecies desorb at about 420 K. In drastic contrast, exposing the clean Cu surface to methylene radicals results not only in the trapping of CH₂(ads), but also in the formation of complex aromatic species. The adlayer is sensitive to annealing at elevated temperatures. Desorption and partial conversion to methylidyne take place at around 420 K. The CH(ads) species can survive up to 700 K and then decomposes to form residual carbon above 800 K. In both radical-Cu(111) systems, surface coverage appears to saturate near one monolayer. The relative concentrations of different surface species in the adlayer, however, depend on the amount of radical exposure. The reaction properties of the two systems are compared and discussed.     

Structural, reactive and kinetic properties of acetylene on clean Mo(100)

Acetylene adsorbs onto Mo(100) at 80 K via precursor state kinetics, saturating the chemisorbed overlayer at a coverage of 1.0. Further exposure to acetylene adsorbs multilayers, which are desorbed by heating to 100 K. Two surface species are identified using angle-resolved ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy after adsorbing acetylene at 80 K. One species is undistorted chemisorbed acetylene, the other is an acetylenic species which is rehybridized to approximately sp² and is adsorbed with its C-C axis oriented at 45° with respect to the surface normal. On heating this surface to above 110 K, all the chemisorbed acetylene converts into the rehybridized species. This is stable up to a surface temperature of 180 K, following which it starts to decompose. Thermal decomposition is complete by 300 K. Only hydrogen is detected in thermal desorption spectroscopy, and the spectra are characteristic of hydrogen desorption from a carbided surface.     

Characterization of methylidyne on Pt(1 1 1) with infrared spectroscopy

Methylidyne (CH) was prepared on Pt(1 1 1) by three methods: thermal decomposition of diiodomethane (CH₂I₂), ethylene decomposition at temperatures above 450 K, and surface carbon hydrogenation. Methylidyne and its precursors are characterized by reflection absorption infrared spectroscopy (RAIRS). The C-I bond of diiodomethane breaks upon adsorption to produce methylene (CH₂), which decomposes to methylidyne at temperatures above 130 K. Above 200 K, methylidyne is the only hydrocarbon species observed with RAIRS, although reaction channels for the formation of methane (CH₄) and ethylene (C₂H₄) are indicated by temperature programmed desorption (TPD). As is well known from numerous previous studies, ethylene decomposes to ethylidyne (CCH₃) upon exposure to Pt(1 1 1) at 410 K. Upon annealing to 450 K, ethylidyne dissociates through two reaction pathways, dehydrogenation to ethynyl (CCH) and C-C bond scission to methylidyne. Ethylene dehydrogenation on the surface at 750 K and under low ethylene exposures produces surface carbon that can be hydrogenated to methylidyne with C-H and C-D stretch frequencies of 2956 and 2206 cm⁻¹, respectively. Hydrogen co-adsorption on the surface causes these frequencies to shift to higher values. Methylidyne is stable on Pt(1 1 1) to temperatures up to 500 K.     

Low temperature electron energy loss spectra of acetylene chemisorbed on metal single-crystal surfaces; Cu(111), Ni(110) and Pd(110)

Vibrational spectra of acetylene chemisorbed on Cu(111), Ni(110) and Pd(110) at 110–120 K were measured using electron energy loss spectroscopy. Loss peaks were assigned to vibrational modes of the non-dissociatively adsorbed molecules with the aid of the corresponding C₂D₂ spectra. The spectra show that the molecules undergo significant rehybridisation on adsorption. Comparisons are made with the spectra of acetylene adsorbed on a range of other transition metal surfaces at low temperature. Taking into account these and earlier literature results, two distinct patterns of spectra are observed (Type A and Type B) for specular spectra. The Cu(111) spectrum is classified as Type A while the Ni(110) and Pd(110) spectra are classified as Type B. Suggestions are made for the structures of the surface species corresponding to the two spectral types.     

Surface reactions of 2-iodopropane on GaAs(1 0 0)

The surface reactions of 2-iodopropane ((CH₃)₂CHI) on gallium-rich GaAs(1 0 0)-(4 × 1), was studied by temperature programmed desorption (TPD) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). CH₃CHICH₃ adsorbs molecularly at 120 K but dissociates below room temperature to form chemisorbed 2-propyl ((CH₃)₂CH) and iodide (I) species. Thermal activation causes desorption of the molecular species at 240 K, and this occurs in competition with the further reactions of the (CH₃)₂CH and I chemisorbed species. Self-coupling of the (CH₃)₂CH results in the formation of 2,3-dimethylbutane ((CH₃)₂CH-CH(CH₃)₂) at 290 K. β-Hydride elimination in (CH₃)₂CH yields gaseous propene (CH₃CHCH₂) at 550 K while reductive elimination reactions of (CH₃)₂CH with surface hydrogen yields propane (CH₃CH₂CH₃) at 560 K. Recombinative desorption of the adsorbed hydrogen as H₂ also occurs at 560 K. We observe that the activation barrier to carbon-carbon bond formation with 2-propyls on GaAs(1 0 0) is much lower than that in our previous investigations involving ethyl and 1,1,1-trifluoroethyl species where the β-elimination process was more facile. The difference in the surface chemistry in the case of 2-propyl species is attributable to its rigid structure resulting from the bonding to the surface via the second carbon atom, which causes the methyl groups to be further away from the surface than in the case of linear ethyl and 1,1,1-trifluoroethyl species. The β-hydride and reductive elimination processes in the adsorbed 2-propyl species thus occurs at higher temperatures, and a consequence of this is that GaI desorption, which is expected to occur in the temperature range 550-560 K becomes suppressed, and the chemisorbed iodine leaves the surface as atomic iodine.     

Bond activation sequence observed in the chemisorption and surface reaction of ethanol on Ni(111)

The mechanism of ethanol decomposition on the Ni(111) surface has been investigated between 155 and 500 K. The sequence of bond scission steps which occur as ethanol undergoes dissociative reactions on this surface has been deduced using deuterium and ¹³C isotopic labels. Bond activation occurs in the order (1) OH, (2) CH₂ (methylene CH), (3) CC, (4) CH₃ (methyl CH). The products observed are CH₃CHO(g), CH₄(g), CO(g), H₂(g) and surface carbon, C(a). The latter species exhibits a carbidic AES lineshape in the temperature range 450 to 670 K, at which temperature it dissolves into the Ni bulk. Acetaldehyde, CH₃CHO, and methane, CH₄, desorb with the same threshold temperature (260–265 K), and the formation of both of these products is controlled by scission of the methylene CH bond (CH₂ group). The CH₃ group is cleaved from the intermediate surface CH₃CHO species to form CH₃(ads). H₂ exhibits a broad, doublet desorption peak from 300 to 450 K. The carbonoxygen bond in ethanol remains intact and CO ultimately desorbs in a single desorption limited process (T_p = 430 K). A small fraction of CO(a) species undergo exchange with the carbidic surface carbon in a minor process observed above 440 K.     

The adsorption of oxygen on Cu(210)

The system Cu(210)-O₂ has been examined using LEED and AES, combined with optical simulation of diffraction patterns to investigate the detailed structure of the adsorbed layer. Exposure at 300 K and 5 × 10^?9 Torr resulted in LEED patterns showing pronounced streaks. The corresponding structures are believed to require an adsorption mechanism in which O₂ dissociation can occur only at a limited number of surface sites and in which O atoms after dissociation diffuse over quite large distances (?10 nm) before becoming chemisorbed. Heating these structures to 500–600 K produced a sharp (2 × 1) pattern; this step is thought to involve equilibration of the adsorbed layer. Further combinations of exposure (?1 × 10^?6Torr) and heating (up to 500 K) resulted in a series of (2 × 1) and (3 × 1) patterns, while heating to 800 K at any stage of the oxygen interaction regenerated the clean surface.     

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.     

Décomposition thermique du monoxide de carbone sur une surface de molybdène: Formation de couches superficielles de carbone et de carbure

We have investigated the decomposition of carbon monoxide on polycrystalline and (001), (110) monocrystalline molybdenum surfaces. This study was performed by massspectrometry, for thermal desorption studies, Auger electron spectrometry (AES), low energy electron diffraction (LEED) and photoelectron spectroscopy (ESCA). By heating the clean Mo surface in CO or by heating the Mo surface covered with CO, the dissociation of chemisorbed CO leads to a build-up of carbon layer which inhibits the subsequent adsorption. Two distinct types of fine structure are associated with the KLL line of carbon Auger spectra. If the Mo surface is heated at a temperature between 300 and 1500 K, the Auger peak is characteristic of a “graphite layer”. If the Mo surface is heated at a temperature up to 2000 K, the Auger peak is characteristic of a “carbure” layer. This “carbure layer” give rise to a surstructure which agrees with a Mo₂C surface layer and was also investigated by ESCA. Chemical shifts of (1s) C and (3d) Mo photoemission bands were observed and attributed to the bounding between Mo and C atoms in the Mo₂C layer.     

Adsorption and thermal reaction of short-chain alkanethiols on GaAs(1 0 0)

By means of temperature-programmed desorption (TPD) and X-ray photoemission spectroscopy (XPS) with synchrotron radiation, we investigated the adsorption and thermal decomposition of alkanethiols (RSH, R = CH₃, C₂H₅, and C₄H₉) on a GaAs(1 0 0) surface. All chemisorbed alkanethiols can deprotonate to form thiolates below 300 K via dissociation of the sulfhydryl hydrogen (-SH). Two types of thiolates species are observed on GaAs(1 0 0), according to adsorption on surface Ga and As sites. The thiolates adsorbed on a Ga site preferentially recombine with surface hydrogen to desorb as a molecular thiol at 350-385 K. The thiolate on the As site exhibits greater thermal stability and undergoes mainly dissociation of the C-S bond at ∼520 K, independent of the alkyl chain length. The decomposition of CH₃S either directly desorbs CH₃ or transfers the CH₃ moiety onto the surface. The surface CH₃ further evolves directly from the surface at 665 K. The dissociations of C₂H₅S and C₄H₉S yield surface C₂H₅ and C₄H₉, which further decompose to desorb C₂H₄ and C₄H₈, respectively, via β-hydride elimination. The complete decomposition of alkanethiol leads to the formation of surface S without deposition of carbon. Adsorption of CH₃SSCH₃ results in the formation of surface CH₃S at initial exposures via scission of the S−S bond. Compared with the adsorption of CH₃SH, the CH₃S on the Ga site exhibits greater thermal stability because surface hydrogen is absent. At a high exposure, CH₃SSCH₃ can absorb molecularly on the surface and decompose to desorb CH₃SCH₃ via formation of a CH₃SS intermediate.     

Angular-resolved photoemission from NH3 on Ni(110)

NH₃ adsorbed on Ni(110) at a temperature of 100 K has been studied by angular-resolved ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy (ARUPS) using synchrotron radiation in the energy range 10 ? ? ω ? 35 eV. From ARUPS it is concluded that NH₃ bonds via its nitrogen lone-pair orbital with its molecular axis normal to the surface. For both the 3a₁ and 1e level dispersion has been found indicating lateral interactions within a compact NH₃ layer. Increasing the NH₃ coverage beyond the chemisorbed monolayer produces a physisorbed monolayer followed by a multilayer deposition of NH₃ phase on top which has been identified by photoemission and thermal desorption. Desorption and partial decomposition result from annealing. At 300 K NH₃ or NH is left at the surface which desorbs almost completely by annealing to 400 K.     

The reaction of acetylene with Ni(100) and Ni(110) surfaces at room temperature

Ultraviolet photoemission spectroscopy using hv = 21.2 eV and filtered 40.8 eV radiation as well as temperature programmed thermal desorption spectroscopy are used to investigate the chemical reaction of acetylene with Ni(100) and Ni(110) surfaces at room temperature. Striking crystallographic effects and several coexisting phases are observed and found to be coverage and temperature dependent. A methodology is described and used to predict the relative energy levels for a variety of adsorbed hydrocarbon fragments on Ni surfaces. Such levels together with the thermal desorption spectra are used to identify the observed species. In particular, CH and CCH species are isolated on Ni(100) and Ni(110) surfaces, respectively, via low temperature adsorption and subsequent pulsed sample warming experiments. The room temperature adsorption phases are deduced using these ionization levels together with those of chemisorbcd acetylene, atomic hydrogen and carbon. At room temperature on Ni(100), H, C, CH and C₂H₂ species form together below 2 L exposure while CH species form thereafter, up to a saturation exposure of ~10 L. On Ni(110), H and CCH species form below 1.5 L exposure followed by the formation of CH₂ and likely CH species. The relative stabilities of these species at elevated temperatures is: C₂H₂ < CCH ? CH < CH₂. A model for the bonding of acetylene and its reaction to form CCH species on Ni(110) is proposed.     

Formation of a passive layer in surface oxidation of Gd: A leed and AES study

The surface oxidation of epitaxial and polycrystalline Gd samples grown in ultrahigh vacuum on W(110) substrates has been investigated using Auger-electron spectroscopy (AES) and low energy electron diffraction (LEED). The surface crystallography of clean epitaxial films monitored by LEED is hcp(0001) and remains unchanged even after 300 L oxygen exposure at room temperature. The LEED pattern of bulk Gd₂O₃ in Mn₂O₃ structure is observed only when oxygen is exposed at an elevated substrate temperature of about 500°C. AES clearly reveals various stages of oxidation as a function of the oxygen exposure for epitaxial as well as polycrystalline films. It is found that the oxidation does not proceed beyond one monolayer of the Gd surface.     

The initial interactions of beryllium with O2 and H2O vapor at elevated temperatures

In the 310-790 K temperature range, the mechanism of initial oxidation by O₂ is oxide island nucleation and growth. At the lower temperature range, oxygen is first chemisorbed and the oxide nucleates at coverage of ∼0.2. Increasing the temperature causes the oxide islands to nucleate at lower coverage and at 700 K and above, the oxide nucleates without any significant stage of chemisorbed oxygen. The temperature dependence shows that while the dissociation stage is not activated, the oxide nucleation and growth are thermally activated. Also, opposite to O₂ adsorption, the initial H₂O adsorption and oxidation rate was found to decrease with temperature. Opposite to the oxygen case, upon exposure to water vapor there is no noticeable stage of chemisorbed oxygen (or OH) and oxide is directly nucleated. Only after oxide coalescence, this tendency changes and the oxidation rate is increased with temperature.