TY - JOUR
T1 - Effects of coadsorbed atomic oxygen on the electron-stimulated desorption of neutral NO from Pt(111)
AU - Burns, A. R.
AU - Stechel, E. B.
AU - Jennison, D. R.
AU - Orlando, T. M.
PY - 1992
Y1 - 1992
N2 - We examine the effects of an electronegative coadsorbate on the electron-stimulated-desorption (ESD) yield and desorbate energies (translational and internal) of a chemisorbed molecule. Specifically, we use laser resonance-ionization spectroscopy to characterize the ESD of neutral NO from a Pt(111) surface precovered with atomic oxygen. With increasing oxygen coverage (up to 0.75 monolayer), we observe the following for the NO desorbate: (1) an exponential increase in specific yield, (2) increased translational energy, (3) decreased vibrational energy, (4) decreased rotational energy, and (5) a growing propensity to produce the upper spin-orbit level of the spin-orbit-split electronic ground state. The first three observations are understood in terms of an O-induced reduction in charge transfer from the substrate into the adsorbate 2 molecular level to screen the electronic excitation (5f-1). This has the dual effect of reducing the Auger decay rate 5 122(NO)5 220(NO+), and of lowering the NO vibrational excitation. The consequences of a reduced Auger decay rate are a larger ESD yield and more desorbate translational energy. We argue that the spin-orbit propensity arises from an O-induced rotational hindering of the NO excited state. A hindered NO+ rotor, ionized after Auger decay, is reneutralized by a strongly spin-orbit-split Pt(111) substrate at a greater rate into the upper level than into the lower level.
AB - We examine the effects of an electronegative coadsorbate on the electron-stimulated-desorption (ESD) yield and desorbate energies (translational and internal) of a chemisorbed molecule. Specifically, we use laser resonance-ionization spectroscopy to characterize the ESD of neutral NO from a Pt(111) surface precovered with atomic oxygen. With increasing oxygen coverage (up to 0.75 monolayer), we observe the following for the NO desorbate: (1) an exponential increase in specific yield, (2) increased translational energy, (3) decreased vibrational energy, (4) decreased rotational energy, and (5) a growing propensity to produce the upper spin-orbit level of the spin-orbit-split electronic ground state. The first three observations are understood in terms of an O-induced reduction in charge transfer from the substrate into the adsorbate 2 molecular level to screen the electronic excitation (5f-1). This has the dual effect of reducing the Auger decay rate 5 122(NO)5 220(NO+), and of lowering the NO vibrational excitation. The consequences of a reduced Auger decay rate are a larger ESD yield and more desorbate translational energy. We argue that the spin-orbit propensity arises from an O-induced rotational hindering of the NO excited state. A hindered NO+ rotor, ionized after Auger decay, is reneutralized by a strongly spin-orbit-split Pt(111) substrate at a greater rate into the upper level than into the lower level.
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U2 - 10.1103/PhysRevB.45.1373
DO - 10.1103/PhysRevB.45.1373
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:0001737248
SN - 0163-1829
VL - 45
SP - 1373
EP - 1385
JO - Physical Review B
JF - Physical Review B
IS - 3
ER -