Journal of Physical Chemistry, Vol.100, No.48, 18829-18838, 1996
Water-Adsorption and Thermal-Decomposition on Feal(110)
H2O chemistry on FeAl(110) has been investigated with temperature-programmed desorption (TPD), photoelectron spectroscopy, and high-resolution electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS). Exposure of FeAl(110) to water at 123 K results in predominantly dissociative adsorption (i.e., H2O --> OH(ad) + H-(ad)), although molecularly adsorbed H2O is also detected. All, or at least the majority, of the adsorbed H2O converts to adsorbed OH(ad) by 173 K. Photoemission suggests that the atomic composition of the OH(ad) binding site is primarily Al. Substantial decomposition of the OH(ad) adlayer occurs by 300 K, and the majority of this species dissociates by 410 K. Atomic oxygen resulting from OH decomposition (i.e., OH(ad) --> O-(ad) + H-(ad)) remains on the surface as aluminum oxide, and surface hydrogen combines and desorbs as H-2 in the 200-400 K temperature range. This later reaction step is thought to be strongly influenced by the Fe component of the alloy.
Keywords:ENERGY-LOSS-SPECTROSCOPY;H2O ADSORPTION;AL(111);OXIDATION;OXYGEN;SURFACES;ALUMINUM;AL(100);CHEMISORPTION;PHOTOELECTRON