Dissociative adsorption of hydrogen on thin Au films grown on Ir{ [formula omitted]}

• Published in: Surface science Vol. 523; no. 3; pp. 218 - 230
• Main Authors: Okada, Michio, Nakamura, Mamiko, Moritani, Kousuke, Kasai, Toshio
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Lausanne Elsevier B.V 01.01.2003; Amsterdam Elsevier Science; New York, NY
• Subjects: Adsorption and desorption kinetics; evaporation and condensation; Condensed matter: structure, mechanical and thermal properties; Deuterium; Exact sciences and technology; Gold; Hydrogen atom; Hydrogen molecule; Iridium; Low energy electron diffraction (LEED); Physics; Single crystal surfaces; Solid-fluid interfaces; Surfaces and interfaces; thin films and whiskers (structure and nonelectronic properties); Thermal desorption spectroscopy; Deuterium; Gold; Low energy electron diffraction (LEED); Thermal desorption spectroscopy; Hydrogen molecule; Hydrogen atom; Single crystal surfaces; Iridium; Inorganic adsorbate; Deuterium molecules; Chemical dissociation; Thermally stimulated desorption; Experimental study; Gas solid adsorption; Transition elements; Gas solid interface; Metallic adsorbent; Adsorption structure; Crystal faces; Hydrogen molecules; LEED
• ISSN: 0039-6028; 1879-2758
• DOI: 10.1016/S0039-6028(02)02408-1

Adsorption and reaction of hydrogen (deuterium) on thin gold films grown on Ir{1 1 1} surface at ∼100 K have been studied with temperature-programmed desorption using a quadrupole mass spectrometer. Thin Au{1 1 1} films are epitaxially grown on the Ir{1 1 1}. Surprisingly, H 2 (D 2) can dissociatively adsorb on these Au{1 1 1} films, although it is well known that Au surfaces are noble enough not to dissociate hydrogen molecules [Nature 376 (1995) 238]. Moreover, we found that H (D) atoms can be confined into a Au thin film and/or the interface between an Ir surface and the thin Au film. We demonstrate how reactive thin Au films are.