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.     

H2O interaction with clean and oxygen precovered Ni(110)

The interaction of water vapour with clean as well as with oxygen precovered Ni(110) surfaces was studied at 150 and 273 K, using UPS, ΔΦ, TDS, and ELS. The He(I) (He(II)) excited UPS indicate a molecular adsorption of H₂O on Ni(110) at 150 K, showing three water-induced peaks at 6.5, 9.5 and 12.2 eV below E_F (6.8, 9.4 and 12.7 eV below E_F). The dramatic decrease of the Ni d-band intensity at higher exposures, as well as the course of the work function change, demonstrates the formation of H₂O multilayers (ice). The observed energy shift of all water-induced UPS peaks relative to the Fermi level (ΔE_max = 1.5 eVat 200 L) with increasing coverage is related to extra-atomic relaxation effects. The activation energies of desorption were estimated as 14.9 and 17.3 kcal/mole. From the ELS measurements we conclude a great sensitivity of H₂O for electron beam induced dissociation. At 273 K water adsorbs on Ni(110) only in the presence of oxygen, with two peaks at 5.7 and 9.3 eV below E_F (He(II)), being interpreted as due to hydroxyl species (OH)^δ? on the surface. A kinetic model for the H₂O adsorption on oxygen precovered Ni(110) surfaces is proposed, and verified by a simple Monte Carlo calculation leading to the same dependence of the maximum amount of adsorbed H₂O on the oxygen precoverage as revealed by work function measurements. On heating, some of the (OH)^δ? recombines and desorbs as H₂O at ? 320 K, leaving behind an oxygen covered Ni surface.     

A study of H2S adsorption kinetics on the clean and oxygen covered (110) surface of copper

The very low pressure adsorption kinetics of H₂S on the clean and oxygen covered Cu(110) face have been examined by Auger Electron Spectroscopy (AES) and Mirror Electron Microscopy (MEM, used for continuous surface potential variations of the copper surface). The AES experimental curves on the clean copper face have been interpreted using a model of island growth by surface diffusion. The presence of an adsorbed oxygen layer on the copper surface changes notably the induction times observed on both AES and MEM measurements.     

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.     

The surface chemistry of H2O on clean and oxygen-covered Cu(110)

Adsorption of water at 100 K. on clean and oxygen-covered Cu(110) has been studied using UPS, TDS, Δφ and LEED measurements. The results indicate that two-dimensional hydrogenbonded islands are formed on the clean surface. The long-range order in these islands is in registry with the substrate lattice and gives rise to a c(2×2) LEED pattern. Upon the formation of multilayer ice, the ordering disappears. The presence of oxygen on the surface disrupts the hydrogen bonding, and composite oxygen-water layers are formed. A model of the arrangement of oxygen atoms and water molecules is presented, based upon the LEED observations for these layers and an estimate of the relative oxygen and water coverages. The intensity variation of a thermal desorption peak at 290 K, attributed to adsorbed OH species, with oxygen coverage is in accordance with this model. For low oxygen coverages, the TDS and Δφ results indicate that small oxygen-water clusters with an enhanced ratio of water molecules per adsorbed oxygen atom are present.     

A photoelectron spectroscopic investigation of the interaction between H2O and oxygen on Ag(110)

The adsorption and reaction of H₂O with adsorbed oxygen atoms on Ag(110) was examined by UPS. In agreement with previous EELS results, H₂O formed multilayers of ice upon adsorption at 140 K. The ice layers could be easily distinguished from monolayer coverages of chemisorbed H₂O (present above 160 K) by UPS. The ice layers produced (1) strong attenuation of the emission from the Ag d-bands, (2) a nearly 2 eV shift of H₂O valence levels to higher binding energy and (3) strong attenuation of emission from the H₂O 3a₁ orbital. H₂O was observed to react stoichiometrically with O(a) above 250 K to produce a pure layer of adsorbed hydroxyl species. The UPS spectra for these species exhibited features at ?5.8 and ?8.7 eV, as well as strong features above the d-bands. These spectra were compared with those for OH(a) on other surfaces, and the difficulties of identifying OH by UPS due to contamination by excess H₂O are discussed.     

TDS and LEED studies of H2O adsorption on GaAs(110)

The UHV cleaved (110) face has been exposed to water in the range from 10 L to 2 × 10⁴ L. The main TDS peak in H₂O desorption appears at 350 K, independent of coverage. The low desorption energy of 0.7 eV (16 kcal/mol) is reasonable for oxygen atoms bound via the lone pair orbital to As as was earlier derived from UPS measurements. A broad spur between 450 and 600 K may be related to O-Ga bonds. The sticking probability shows values below 10^-4; only near 4.8 × 10³ L (6 × 10¹⁵ cm^-2 s^-1 H₂O molecules for 300 s) corresponding to a coverage of about 0.4 monolayes a steep maximum appears. At about one monolayer saturation is observed. Exposures to more than 10⁴ L of water quench the intensity of the (10) LEED spot considerably stronger than the intensity of the (11) spot. A comparison of the I(E) curves with existing model calculations suggests that the observed behaviour of the LEED spots is caused by a change in surface structure towards the unrelaxed configuration. The higher sticking coefficient observed near 0.4 monolayers may be connected with this rearrangement of surface atoms.     

Interaction of H2O with a clean and oxygen precovered Ni(110) surface studied by XPS

The adsorption and reaction of H₂O on clean and oxygen precovered Ni(110) surfaces was studied by XPS from 100 to 520 K. At low temperature (T<150 K), a multilayer adsorption of H₂O on the clean surface with nearly constant sticking coefficient was observed. The O 1s binding energy shifted with coverage from 533.5 to 534.4 eV. H₂O adsorption on an oxygen precovered Ni(110) surface in the temperature range from 150 to 300 K leads to an O 1s double peak with maxima at 531.0 and 532.6 eV for T=150 K (530.8 and 532.8 eV at 300 K), proposed to be due to hydrogen bonded O_ads… HOH species on the surface. For T>350 K, only one sharp peak at 530.0 eV binding energy was detected, due to a dissociation of H₂O into O_ads and H₂. The s-shaped O 1s intensity-exposure curves are discussed on the basis of an autocatalytic process with a temperature dependent precursor state.     

The reaction of H2S with surface oxygen on Ni(110)

The reactions of H₂S with predosed surface oxygen on Ni(110) surfaces were studied for a variety of coverage conditions. The primary reaction product is H₂O, but the details of the water formation and desorption depends on the coverage of both O and H₂S.

For high coverages of oxygen (p(2 × 1)−O; 0.5 ML), the reaction to form water is quantitative. The loss of oxygen from the surface (as measured by AES) is equal to the increase in sulfur coverage. XPS and HREELS measurements indicate the presence of chemisorbed H₂O immediately following large exposures of H₂S on the oxygen predosed surface at 110 K. Deuterium incorporation results suggest that the primary mechanism for these coverage conditions involves direct transfer of hydrogen from SH or H₂S moieties to the oxygen.

A second mechanism involving reaction of surface hydroxyl groups with surface hydrogen was also identified. This mechanism is particularly important for high coverages of oxygen (0.5 ML) and low coverages of H₂S (0.15 ML), where water desorption was observed at 235 K, but was not observed spectroscopically at 110 K. The sequential addition of two surface hydrogen atoms to surface oxygen is not an important mechanism in this system.

These reactions were modeled using a bond-order conservation method, and the model successfully reproduced the important mechanistic conclusions.     

The adsorption of H2O on clean and oxygen-dosed silver single crystal surfaces

The adsorption of H₂O on the surface of a single-crystal sphere of silver with exposed (111), (100) and (112) facets has been examined using ESDIAD (electron stimulated desorption ion angular distribution), LEED (low energy electron diffraction) and TDS (thermal desorption spectroscopy). The purpose of the study was (a) to examine the influence of substrate geometry for adsorption of H₂O on a metal surface for which the adsorbate-substrate interaction is weak, and (b) to study the influence of a surface impurity, oxygen, on the surface chemistry and local bonding structure of H₂O on Ag. We have found no evidence for either long-range or short-range local bonding order for adsorbed H₂O at 80 K on any of the surfaces studied. This appears to be a consequence, in part, of the lattice mismatch between the Ag crystal structure and the two-dimensional H₂O ice crystal structure. Adsorbed H₂O reacts with preadsorbed oxygen to form OH species which are bonded with the molecular axis perpendicular to Ag(111) and (100) but “inclined” on (112) surfaces, as identified using ESDIAD. The “inclined” OH species are associated with atomic steps on the (112) surface.     

The adsorption of CO,H2, H2, CO2 and H2O on carburized and graphitized Ni(110)

A study of the adsorption/desorption behavior of CO, H₂O, CO₂ and H₂ on Ni(110)(4 × 5)-C and Ni(110)-graphite was made in order to assess the importance of desorption as a rate-limiting step for the decomposition of formic acid and to identify available reaction channels for the decomposition. The carbide surface adsorbed CO and H₂O in amounts comparable to the clean surface, whereas this surface, unlike clean Ni(110), did not appreciably adsorb H₂. The binding energy of CO on the carbide was coverage sensitive, decreasing from 21 to 12 $\text{kcal}\text{mol}$ as the CO coverage approached 1.1 × 10¹⁵ molecules cm^?2 at 200K. The initial sticking probability and maximum coverage of CO on the carbide surface were close to that observed for clean Ni(110). The amount of H₂, CO, CO₂ and H₂O adsorbed on the graphitized surface was insignificant relative to the clean surface. The kinetics of adsorption/desorption of the states observed are discussed.     

The adsorption of H2O on TiO2 and SnO2(110) studied by first-principles calculations

First-principles calculations based on density functional theory and the pseudopotential method have been used to investigate the energetics of H₂O adsorption on the (110) surface of TiO₂ and SnO₂. Full relaxation of all atomic positions is performed on slab systems with periodic boundary conditions, and cases of full and half coverage are studied. Both molecular and dissociative (H₂O→OH⁻+H⁻) adsorption are treated, and allowance is made for relaxation of the adsorbed species to unsymmetrica configurations. It is found that for both TiO₂ and SnO₂ an unsymmetrical dissociated configuration is the most stable. The symmetrical molecularly adsorbed configuration is unstable with respect to lowering of symmetry, and is separated from the fully dissociated configuration by at most a very small energy barrier. The calculated dissociative adsorption energies for TiO₂ and SnO₂ are in reasonable agreement with the results of thermal desorption experiments. Calculated total and local electronic densities of states for dissociatively and molecularly adsorbed configurations are presented, and their relation with experimental UPS spectra is discussed.     

Desorption of H2 from W(110) and Fe covered W(110) surfaces

The kinetics of H₂ desorption from H/W(110) and H/Fe₁/W(110) were studied by measuring work function changes Δø vs time at a number of temperatures. Combination with previously determined Δø vs coverage data and differentiation at various fixed coverages gave rate vs T data from which activation energies of desorption could be obtained. E vs coverage results agree well with previously determine ΔH_des results. In the case of H/Fe₁/W(110) this includes a rise from 20 to 30 kcal mol⁻¹ of H₂ at H/Fe = H/W > 0.3. Plots of rate −dθ/dt vs θ (θ being coverage in units of H/W) vary much more steeply than θ² at most coverages for both systems. The θ dependence can be explained almost quantitatively in terms of the variations of ΔH_des and surface entropy S_s with coverage, by assuming that rates of desorption are equal to the equilibrium rates of adsorption. The latter can be formulated thermodynamically, except for a sticking coefficient, s. Values for s(θ, T) can also be obtained and show relatively little temperature dependence.     

The adsorption of molecular oxygen species on Ag(110)

The adsorption of oxygen on the Ag(110) surface was examined at temperatures down to 123 K. In addition to the dissociatively adsorbed state which desorbed at 590 K, a second oxygen state desorbed at 190 K following adsorption at 150 K and below. This high temperature state appeared to form prior to the development of the low temperature state. The ratio of coverages of the two states was a strong function of both exposure and adsorption temperature. Isotopic exchange experiments indicated that the low temperature state was molecularly adsorbed. The desorption of the molecularly adsorbed oxygen exhibited complex kinetics due to interaction with adsorbed oxygen atoms.     

Sulfur dioxide adsorption and reaction with atomic oxygen on the Ag(110) surface

The adsorption of SO₂ on Ag(110) and the reaction of SO₂ with oxygen adatoms have been studied under ultrahigh vacuum conditions using low energy electron diffraction, temperature programmed reaction spectroscopy and photoelectron spectroscopy. Below 300 K, SO₂ adsorbs molecularly giving p(1×2) and c(4×2) LEED patterns at coverages of one half and three quarter monolayers. respectively. At intermediate coverages, streaked diffraction patterns, similar to those reported for noble gas and alkali metal adsorption on the (110) face of face-centered cubic metals were observed, indicating adsorption out of registry with the surface. A feature at low binding energy in the ultraviolet photoemission spectrum appeared which was assigned to a weak chemisorption bond to the surface via the sulfur, analogous to bonding observed in SO₂-amine charge transfer complexes and in transition metal complexes. SO₂ exhibited three binding states on Ag(110) with binding energies of 41, 53 and 64 kJ mol^?1; no decomposition on clean Ag(110) was observed. On oxygen pretreated Ag(110), SO₂ reacted with oxygen adatoms to form SO_3(a), as determined by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Reacting preadsorbed atomic oxygen in a p(2 × 1) structure with SO₂ resulted in a c(6 × 2) pattern for SO_3(a). The adsorbed SO_3(a) decomposed and disproportionated upon heating to 500 K to yield SO_2(g), SO_4(a) and subsurface oxygen.     

Electron loss spectroscopy of clean and oxygen covered GaAs(110) surfaces

Electron energy loss spectra of clean and oxygen covered GaAs(110) surfaces have been measured with a four grid retarding field analyser. Loss spectra of clean cleaved p- and n-type surfaces are slightly different and different states of adsorption for the oxygen on the two surfaces are found. The loss peaks which are common in the spectra obtained from clean surfaces of both types of material have been interpreted in terms of bulk and surface excitations. The data associated with the bulk excitations are in good agreement with previous optical and electron transmission data while loss peaks at 11.5 and 18.5 eV are interpreted as the surface plasma loss and a surface state transition respectively. For n-type material extra loss peaks were observed. In the case of oxygen adsorption on these surfaces new loss peaks were found at 13.5, 17.2 and 28.1 eV in both spectra and are assumed to be characteristic of the oxygen. Further, for n-type material an extra peak occurs at 8.2 eV.     

The adsorption of oxygen on Pd1/W(110)

The behavior of oxygen on Pd₁/W(110) has been investigated from 25 to 200 K by thermal desorption, UPS, XPS, and work function measurements. At 25 K only dioxygen species are present. A weakly bound O₂layer, containing O₂/Pd = 0.31 or 4.4 × 10¹⁴ O₂ molecules/cm² is desorbed at 35 K, leaving a coverage of O₂/Pd = 0.35 or 5 × 10¹⁴ O₂ molecules/cm². Heating to 200 K results in desorption of molecular O₂ as well as conversion to O, with O/Pd = 0.3. The molecular states, except the very weakly bound one, have high dipole moments with electron transfer to O₂, and thus correspond to Superoxide and peroxide species. These have UPS spectra quite different from physisorbed O₂. At 90 K adsorption is still mostly molecular with a sticking coefficient s near unity. At 200 K, adsorption is atomic with an initial s₀ = 0.8. This must be contrasted with Cu₁/W(110) where s₀ is unity even at 300 K. The difference can be explained by the much better size match of Pd and W, than Cu and W which makes it easier for Cu to take up momentum of impinging O₂ molecules.

The behavior of oxygen on Pd₁/W(110) is very similar to that on bulk Pd(111), suggesting that for oxygen the former surface resembles bulk Pd. This is not so for CO adsorption which is much weaker on Pd₁/W(110) than on bulk Pd. The reasons for this difference are not presently understood.     

The decomposition of H2S on Ni(110)

Adsorbed H₂S decomposes on Ni(110) to form primarily surface S and H for coverages of less than 0.5 ML. The hydrogen evolves in two separate TPD peaks, characteristic of hydrogen recombination and desorption from the clean surface and from regions perturbed by chemisorbed sulfur. XPS and HREELS indicate the presence of SH and possibly H₂S groups on the surface at 110 K. The XPS data indicates that for coverages less than about 0.5 ML, the concentration of molecular H₂S is small, but it is difficult to asess the coverage of SH groups. However, all of the molecular species decompose prior to hydrogen desorption (for high coverage, 180 K). Physisorbed H₂S is observed on the surface for coverages greater than about 0.5 ML.

The sulfur Auger lineshape was observed to be a function of both coverage and temperature. The changes in the lineshape were attributed to perturbations in local bonding interactions between the S and the Ni surface, perhaps involving some change in either bonding sites or distances but not involving SH bond scission.

The decomposition reaction was modeled using a bond order conservation method which successfully reproduced the experimental results.     

H2O adsorption on Ni(100): Evidence for oriented water dimers

H₂O adsorption on clean Ni(110) surfaces at T ≦ 150 K leads at coverages below $\text{θ ? 0.5}$ to the formation of chemisorbed water dimers, bound to the Ni substrate via both oxygen atoms. The linear hydrogen bond axis is oriented parallel to the [001] surface directions. With increasing H₂O coverage $\text{(θ ≧ 0.5)}$, the accumulation of further hydrogen bonded water molecules induces some modification of the dimer configuration, producing at $\text{θ ? 1}$ a two-dimensional hydrogen bonded network with a slightly distorted ice lattice structure and long range order.