Influence of electronic and geometric structure on the ethylene-oxide adsorption on transition metal surfaces: Ag(110), Cu(110), Ni(111) and Fe(100)

Abstract

The adsorption of ethylene-oxide (Et-O) on transition metal surfaces (Ag(110), Cu(110), Ni(111) and Fe(100)) was studied with UV-light induced angular resolved photoelectron spectroscopy (ARUPS), complemented by thermal desorption spectroscopy (TDS) and work function change measurements (Δ). This report focuses on the Et-O/Fe(100) system, with comparisons and references to the other investigated transition metal surfaces. ARUPS results demonstrate that at 140 K Et-O adsorbs molecularly on Fe(100) and also on the other investigated surfaces. In particular, dissociation is not a predominant process in the temperature range of 100–300 K. On all investigated surfaces, Δ and ARUPS suggest a similar bonding mechanism between Et-O and the substrate with a perpendicular orientation of the molecular axis in that way that the oxygen atom is pointed towards the surface.