Dielectric constants of adsorbed CO on Cu and Ag

Adsorption of CO on evaporated Ag and Cu films was studied by ellipsometry and resistivity measurements. Changes in ellipsometric angles δΔ and δψ due to adsorption of CO were analyzed by an improved linear approximation of the stratified layer model of adsorption. Adsorption of CO on Cu induced a 23% increase in the relative resistivity change (δR/R) which was proportional to δψ, while adsorption of CO on Ag induced a 1% increase without the proportionality. The dielectric constant of CO adsorbed on Ag is $\text{?}{}_1\text{= 2.2?0.7i}$ at λ = 1152 nm in comparison to ?₁ = 2.1 for gas phase CO; that of CO on Cu is $\text{?}{}_1\text{= ?4.8 ? 8.5i}$, which is consistent with the prediction by the Bennett and Penn theory. The large difference in $\text{}\text{?}$ge₁, of adsorbed CO on Ag and Cu is understood in terms of the energy level of the 2 π molecular orbital of adsorbed CO relative to the Fermi level. A possibility of adlayer plasmon excitation is discussed.