Superlattices formed by electrodeposition of silver on iodine-pretreated Pt(111); studies by LEED,Auger spectroscopy and electrochemistry

Reported are studies by LEED and Auger spectroscopy of silver layers electrodeposited on well-characterized Pt(111) surfaces from aqueous solution. Prior to electrodeposition. the Pt(111) surface was treated with I₂ vapor to form the Pt(111) ($\text{7}\text{×}\text{7}$)R19.1°-I superlattice which protected the Pt and Ag surfaces from attack by the electrolyte and residual gases. Electrodeposition of silver occurred in four distinct ranges of electrode potential. Ordered layers having (3 × 3) and (18 × 18) (coincidence lattice) LEED patterns were formed at all coverages from the onset of deposition to the highest coverages studied, about twenty equivalent atomic layers. Formation of ordered Ag layers has therefore been demonstrated, at least for deposits of limited thickness. Auger spectra revealed that for deposits of a few atomic layers. The iodine layer remained attached to the surface during multiple cycles of electrodeposition and dissolution of silver from iodine-free solution. Each peak of the voltammetric current-potential scan produced a change in the LEED pattern.     

Electrodeposition of Pb onto Pt(111) in aqueous chloride solutions: Studies by LEED and Auger spectroscopy

Studies by LEED and Auger spectroscopy of Pb electrodeposited from aqueous HCl solutions onto well-defined Pt(111) surfaces are reported. Adsorption of HCl from pure aqueous HCl solutions (pH = 0 to 4) onto Pt(111) at electrode potentials from 0.4 to 0.8 volt (versus AgCl reference electrode) resulted in a stable (3×3) adlattice; however, below 0.4 volt adsorption was weak and desorption occurred readily under the influence of the electron beams employed for LEED or Auger spectroscopy. When Pb²⁺ ions were present in the chloride solution, spontaneous (open circuit) electrodeposition of Pb occurred (θ_Pb = 0.05), altering the sizes, shapes, and intensities of beams in the (3×3) pattern. Electrodeposition of Pb under conditions of negative linear potential scan resulted in a series of ten peaks at potentials more positive than the peak for deposition of bulk Pb. LEED patterns obtained after emersion of the surface at various stages during the scan revealed that the electrodeposited layer was ordered and underwent a series of structural transitions with increasing Pb coverage. Comparison of the Auger signal for Pb with the coulometric charge for Pb deposition demonstrated that the Pb deposit was not stable at open circuit (as in emersion) when the packing density exceeded about θ_Pb = 1. The Auger signal for Cl was not generally attenuated by deposition of Pb. indicating that Cl was present in the topmost layer of the surface at all Pb coverages.     

Ethylene and acetylene adsorption on Cu(111) and Pt(111) studied by Auger spectroscopy

High resolution, electron impact excited, carbon Auger spectra of ethylene and acetylene adsorbed on Cu(111) and Pt(111) are compared. The spectra of ethylene on the two metals provide the first example of the sensitivity of AES to the nature of metal-adsorbate bonding for molecular adsorbates. The acetylene spectra are identical on the two metals. The changes in the carbon Auger spectra resulting from thermal decomposition of the two adsorbates on Pt(111) are discussed in the context of results from electron energy loss spectroscopy.     

Adsorption of oxygen on Rh(110): a LEED, Auger electron spectroscopy and thermal desorption study

The adsorption of oxygen on the Rh(110) surface has been studied by a variety of techniques. Low-energy electron diffraction shows the following patterns: (2 × 1)p2mg at 1 ML coverage and temperatures between 125 and 300 K; (2 × 2)p2mg at 0.5 ML coverage after heating to above 470 K; c(2 × 8) and complex streaked c(2 × 2n) patterns at coverages above 0.5 after heating to 470 K. These results are in partial agreement with previous work. Models for the first two structures are suggested. In the (2 × 2) structure, the oxygen is found to be much less reactive with CO at room temperature than in the (2 × 1) structure, suggesting that it is subsurface. A metastable (1 × 2) structure was produced from the (2 × 2) by reduction of the oxygen by CO at 450 K, and is interpreted as a surface reconstruction.     

Adsorption and epitaxial growth of benzene on ZnO(1010) studied by thermal desorption spectroscopy,LEED and UPS

The adsorption and condensation of benzene on ZnO(101̄0) was investigated by thermal desorption spectroscopy and LEED. The first monolayer shows an ordered c(2 × 2) super-structure. First order desorption is observed. The desorption energy and frequency factor decrease from 73 to 56 kJ mole^?1 and from ~10¹⁵ to ~10¹² s^?1, respectively, with coverage increasing to 0.85. The second layer is more weakly bound. Two-dimensional (2D) island formation is deduced from peak shape analysis. Near completion, the second layer converts to a more tightly bound configuration as deduced from a sudden shift of the desorption peak and the formation of an additional c(4 × 3) LEED pattern. This pattern which can be identified as a property of bulk benzene is preserved upon epitaxial growth of the 3D benzene crystal. Angular resolved UPS measurements indicate the benzene molecules of the first layer to be arranged in an oblique position of low symmetry.     

The Pt(110) phase transitions: A study by rutherford backscattering,nuclear microanalysis,LEED and thermal desorption spectroscopy

The adsorbate induced (1×2) (1×1) (2×1)p1g1 phase transitions on Pt(110) have been studied by Rutherford backscattering (RBS), nuclear microanalysis (NMA), LEED and thermal desorption spectroscopy. RBS data indicate that any displacement of the surface atoms from their expected bulk-like lattice sites in the (1×2) phase is ? 0.002 nm laterally and ? 0.007 nm vertically. This contraint eliminates models for the reconstruction which involve significant lateral displacements (e.g., the paired-atom or hexagonal overlayer models). The RBS data are consistent with both the rumpled model with up/down displacements not exceeding ~0.007 nm and the missing row model with an unrelaxed surface in which the out-of-plane vibrational amplitude is slightly enhanced. A c(8×4) phase, produced by CO (or NO) exposure at T?250 K, has also been characterized by RBS which demonstrated that 0.92×10¹⁵ Pt cm^?2 move on average by ~0.017 nm laterally out-of-registry with the bulk upon formation of this phase. The values of the saturation adsorbate coverages at T?200K were determined by NMA to be 0.92 ± 0.05×10¹⁵, 1.0 ± 0.06×10¹⁵ and 1.07 ± 0.10×10¹⁵ CO molecules, NO molecules and D atoms, respectively, per cm². The value of the saturation coverage by CO (θ = 1.0) supports recent models of the (2×1)p1g1 overlayer. The isosteric heat of adsorption of CO is 160 ± 15 kJ mol^?1 in the range 0.2?θ?0.5.     

LEED and Auger investigations of Cu (111) surface

After ultrahigh vacuum bake-out, electropolished Cu (111) surfaces were shown by Auger analysis to be contaminated by C, N, O, S and Cl. Other than C and S, which were contained in the bulk, the impurities were introduced by surface preparation; but all were easily removed by light Ar ion bombardment. Heating to ≈ 750°C caused diffusion of C and S from the bulk to the extent that a clear diffraction pattern corresponding to a √7 × √7 structure was produced by S on the surface. At ≈ b 900°C evaporation of Cu occurred to an observable degree, and S and C could no longer be detected on the surface. Auger analysis of clean Cu surfaces showed many details of the LMM and MMM types of transitions. Kinetic energies of all observed Auger electrons were in excellent agreement with calculated values. Also, the ≈ 62 eV MMM peak was resolved into two components related to the small differences in the M₂ and M₃ energy levels. The LMM transitions were classified according to their intensities, which could be rationalized on the basis of Coster-Kronig transitions and transition probabilities, as L₃MM > L₂MM > L₁MM.     

Surface diffusion of hydrogen on Ni(100) studied using laser-induced thermal desorption

The surface diffusion coefficient for hydrogen on Ni(100) at low coverage has been measured between 223 and 283 K. A pulsed laser is used to desorb hydrogen from a small, well defined, region on the surface without perturbing the ambient surface temperature. Hydrogen from nearby regions on the surface migrates into the vacant area and the time required to refill that area is determined by subsequent laser-induced-desorption measurements. The diffusion coefficient is obtained using an equation derived from Fick's Second law with non-stationary boundary conditions. The temperature dependence of the diffusion coefficients yields a value of 4.0 ± 0.5 kcal/mol for the energy barrier to diffusion. A value of roughly 3 × 10¹³ s^?1 for the site-to-site hopping frequency is derived when the pre-exponential for diffusion is fit to a random-walk mechanism.     

The adsorption of CO on Pt(111) studied by infrared-reflection-adsorption spectroscopy

The adsorption of CO on Pt(111) between 85K and 300K has been studied by infrared-reflection-absorption spectroscopy together with TPD and LEED. The intensity of the absorption band due to the CO stretch of the linear species shows a maximum at the formation of the (√3 × √3)R30° LEED pattern followed by a minimum at the c(4×2) structure during the adsorption of CO at low temperatures (150K). The absorption band due to the C-O stretch of the bridging species appears only after the formation of the (√3 × √3)R30° pattern and reaches maximum intensity at the c(4×2) structure. Adsorption of CO to higher coverages (corresponding to the compression structures) broadens and shifts this absorption band. At higher temperatures (150K) a third peak is observed at 40cm⁻¹ below the peak due to the bridging species and is attributed to adsorption in the three-fold sites. At 300K both peaks in this region are very broad. The intensity data differs from that measured with EELS (ref.1) and favors a “faultline” structure of the type proposed by Avery (ref.2). Together with the additional information from bandwidths it is possible to distinguish between the various structural models. The results obtained here may also be important in explaining data from other systems such as CO/Cu.     

Adsorption of oxygen and hydrogen on Pt(111) studied with second-harmonic generation

The adsorption of oxygen and hydrogen on a Pt(111) surface has been studied with phase-sensitive Second-Harmonic Generation (SHG) signal detection. The SHG-signal change measured with p-in, p-out polarization during the adsorption of oxygen and hydrogen was found to be different in amplitude and phase for the two adsorbates. At the wavelength used (1064 nm), only a localized interaction between adsorbate and substrate is seen, leading to a linear dependence of the susceptibility on the coverage. Sticking coefficients,s, and their coverage dependence were determined. For hydrogen, a linear decrease ins with coverage was found; the initial sticking coefficient beings ₀=0.06 at a temperature ofT=130 K. For oxygen,s whows a quadratic decrease with coverage, strongly dependent on temperature, withs ₀=0.05 atT=350 K.A method based on these results is proposed, which would allow the determination of adsorbate coverages of coadsorption systems with SHG using phase-sensitive signal detection.Presented at the 129th WE-Heraues-Seminar on Surface Studies by Nonliner Laser Spectroscopies, Kassel, Germany, May 30 to June 1, 1994     

LEED crystallographic investigation of ultrathin films formed by deposition of Sn on the Pt(111) surface

Deposition of Sn on the Pt(111) surface followed by annealing at 1000 K leads to the formation of ordered phases showing (2 × 2 and ( LEED patterns, depending on the surface coverage of Sn. Both these phases were studied by LEED dynamical analysis. The best agreement between experimental and calculated I–V curves was obtained by means of models based on the formation of mixed Pt-Sn layers on the surface where Pt and Sn atoms are nearly coplanar with a slight upward buckling of Sn atoms. The structures of these phases are similar to those already observed for the Pt₃Sn(111) surface.     

LEED intensities from clean and hydrogen covered Ni(100) and Pd(111) surfaces

Hydrogen adsorbs on Ni(100) and Pd(111) surfaces without the formation of additional diffraction spots in the LEED patterns. Measurements of LEED intensities revealed that adsorbed hydrogen layers cause considerable changes even in such cases where displacements of surface atoms (“reconstructive adsorption”) may be excluded. After hydrogen adsorption on Ni(100) the intensities of Bragg beams are uniformly lowered whereas the background intensity increases which is attributed to the formation of a disordered adsorbed layer. With Pd(111) adsorbed hydrogen causes a slight decrease of the background intensity and characteristic modifications of the intensity/voltage curve of the (0,0) beam, suggesting the formation of an ordered 1 × 1 structure. In the latter case energy shifts of the primary Bragg maxima were observed and are interpreted as being caused by an expansion of the layer spacing in the surface region by about 2% owing the partial dissolution of the hydrogen.     

The adsorption of water on Pt(111) studied by irreflection and UV-photoemission spectroscopy

IR-reflection spectroscopy (IRS) under grazing incidence and UV-photoemission (UPS) with Hel and Hell radiation were used to study the adsorption of D₂O and H₂O, respectively, on Pt(111) under UHV conditions. In IRS three different vibrational bands in the OD stretch region yield information about the orientation of hydrogen-bonded water molecules and the formation of water clusters. Initially formed water multimers grow to clusters and finally build up multilayers. From UPS the adsorption of molecular water in the whole coverage range is confirmed. Both UPS and IRS show that the water molecules in the “first layer” are bound through their oxygen end to the surface.     

Electron-stimulated defect formation in single-walled carbon nanotubes studied by hydrogen thermal desorption spectroscopy

Defects in single-walled carbon nanotubes introduced by low-energy electron irradiation at 8 K were sensitively detected by cryogenic thermal desorption of hydrogen molecules H₂ in the temperature range of 10-40 K. The thermal desorption spectrum was found to change significantly with sample annealing at temperatures as low as 40-70 K. Experimental results suggest that the H₂ physisorption sites responsible for the ‘defect’ peak at 28 K are interstitial channel space between nanotubes closely packed in bundles which becomes more easily accessible on damage. It is also suggested that the disordering provides groove sites for H₂ physisorption with smaller binding energy causing the damage-induced spectral component around 16 K, slightly lower than the desorption peak at 20 K that is observed in undamaged samples. The spectral change at 40-70 K could be interpreted by migration of adatoms at the low temperatures.     

Adsorption and decomposition of HNCO on Cu(111) surface studied by auger electron,electron energy loss and thermal desorption spectroscopy

No detectable adsorbed species were observed after exposure of HNCO to a clean Cu(111) surface at 300 K. The presence of adsorbed oxygen, however, exerted a dramatic influence on the adsorptive properties of this surface and caused the dissociative adsorption of HNCO with concomitant release of water. The adsorption of HNCO at 300 K produced two new strong losses at 10.4 and 13.5 eV in electron energy loss spectra, which were not observed during the adsorption of either CO or atomic N. These loses can be attributed to surface NCO on Cu(111). The surface isocyanate was stable up to 400 K. The decomposition in the adsorbed phase began with the evolution of CO₂. The desorption of nitrogen started at 700 K. Above 800 K, the formation of C₂N₂ was observed. The characteristics of the CO₂ formation and the ratios of the products sensitively depended on the amount of preadsorbed oxygen. No HNCO was desorbed as such, and neither NCO nor (NCO)₂ were detected during the desorption. From the comparison of adsorption and desorption behaviours of HNCO, N, CO and CO₂ on copper surfaces it was concluded that NCO exists as such on a Cu(111) surface at 300 K. The interaction of HNCO with oxygen covered Cu(111) surface and the reactions of surface NCO with adsorbed oxygen are discussed in detail.     

Halogen adsorption on Fe(100): I. The adsorption of Cl2 studied by AES,LEED, work function change and thermal desorption

The initial sticking probability of chlorine on Fe(100) at room temperature is calculated to be 0.13, and there is evidence to suggest that the chlorine adsorbs into a short lived mobile precursor state above the surface. The work function change, Δφ, is proportional to coverage and reaches a maximum value of 1.43 eV at saturation. At this coverage a c(2 × 4) LEED pattern is formed. On heating, chlorine is lost from the surface, but the mechanism is such that no detectable loss is incurred at a constant elevated temperature. The c(2 × 4) pattern is shown to be a coincidence structure formed from a $\text{(}\text{1}\text{2}\text{3}\text{?1}\text{2}\text{3}\text{)}$ net of chlorine atoms on the Fe(100) substrate. This structure is a special case of the more general $\text{(}\text{1}\text{2}\text{tan}\text{α}\text{?1}\text{2}\text{tan}\text{α}\text{)}$ structure formed at lower concentrations of chlorine. The c(2 × 4) is formed when α = 56.31°, which gives the chlorine atoms a hard sphere diameter of 0.345 nm and a concentration of 0.75 atoms per four-fold site.