Studies of Chemisorption with the Scanning Tunneling Microscope

Abstract

In this paper we review recent advances in the study of the structure of chemisorbed layers on transition metal surfaces in real space using the Scanning Tunneling Microscope (STM). The examples include Carbon on Pt(l 11) and Sulfur on Mo(001) and on Re(0001). The new phenomena that were unraveled by the STM and other surface science techniques include the passivation of the surfaces by a single layer of adsorbates that prevented oxidation and contamination in air. In Ultra High Vacuum, the STM revealed the multiple structures formed by S on Re as a function of coverage. It revealed also that at local coverages above 0.25 monolayers, isolated S adatoms are not stable and coalesce into structures formed by trimers and other aggregates.KeywordsMolybdenum DisulfideScanning Tunneling MicroscopeAuger Electron SpectroscopyUltra High VacuumLocal CoverageThese keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.