N2 emission in NO and N2O reduction on Rh(100) and Rh(110)

The angular distribution of desorbing N(2) was studied in both the thermal decomposition of N(2)O(a) on Rh(100) at 60-140 K and the steady-state NO (or N(2)O) + D(2) reaction on Rh(100) and Rh(110) at 280-900 K. In the former, N(2) desorption shows two peaks at around 85 and 110 K. At low N(2)O coverage, the desorption at 85 K collimates at about 66 degrees off normal towards the 001] direction, whereas at high coverage, it sharply collimates along the surface normal. In the NO reduction on Rh(100), the N(2) desorption preferentially collimates at around 71 degrees off normal towards the 001] direction below about 700 K, whereas it collimates predominantly along the surface normal at higher temperatures. At lower temperatures, the surface nitrogen removal in the NO reduction is due to the process of NO(a) + N(a) --> N(2)O(a) --> N(2)(g) + O(a). On the other hand, in the steady-state N(2)O + D(2) reaction on Rh(110), the N(2) desorption collimates closely along the 001] direction (close to the surface parallel) below 340 K and shifts to ca. 65 degrees off normal at higher temperatures. In the reduction with CO, the N(2) desorption collimates along around 65 degrees off normal towards the 001] direction above 520 K, and shifts to 45 degrees at 445 K with decreasing surface temperature. It is proposed that N(2)O is oriented along the 001] direction on both surfaces before dissociation and the emitted N(2) is not scattered by adsorbed hydrogen.