Intramolecular motion in DIET: desorption and dissociation of chemisorbed ammonia

We show that quantum-specific detection of DIET processes of polyatomic adsorbates reveals the multidimensional dynamics of intramolecular motion. Specifically, we present an analysis of the 6-350 eV electron-induced desorption and dissociation of chemisorbed NH₃ and ND₃ on Pt(1 1 1). State-selective detection of the neutral DIET products is accomplished by 2 + 1 resonance-enhanced multiphoton ionization (REMPI). Desorption and dissociation occur as a result of distinct electronic excitations that result in different, uncoupled, modes of intramolecular motion. We find that desorption results from 3a₁^-1-induced inversion motion. Trajectories on a two-dimensional potential energy surface reveal that the excited molecule fully inverts; upon deexcitation, the inverted molecule is sufficiently high on the hard wall of the substrate interaction to have enough energy to desorb. Given the short excitation lifetime, the time scale in which the (H) D atoms reach the inversion geometry directly affects the desorption yield and results in an appreciable enhancement of NH₃ desorption over that of ND₃. In general, multidimensional molecule-surface potential energy surfaces should be considered in DIET processes involving molecular adsorbates.