High resolution electron energy loss measurements of Na/Cu(111) and H2O/Na/Cu(111): dependence of water reactivity as a function of Na coverage

Collective electronic excitations occurring in Na layers grown on Cu(111) and in H2O/Na/Cu(111) have been investigated at room temperature by high resolution electron energy loss spectroscopy. Loss spectra taken for a coverage between 0.55 and 0.70 ML of Na are characterized by a feature at 3.0 eV assigned to a Mie resonance. Further increasing the Na coverage leads to the appearance of the Na surface plasmon at 3.9 eV. Water molecules dissociate on Na layers as shown by the appearance of the OH-Na vibration. Upon water adsorption, relevant effects on both electronic excitations and vibrational modes were observed as a function of Na coverage.