High resolution electron energy loss spectroscopy of chemisorbed carbon monoxide and oxygen on the ruthenium (001) surface

Abstract

The adsorption of CO and O2 on the Ru(001) surface and the interaction between CO and chemisorbed oxygen on this surface have been studied by measuring the vibrational energies of the adsorbed layer with electron energy loss spectroscopy. Adsorbed CO shows two vibrational energies that are assigned to the metal–carbon and carbon–oxygen stretching frequencies of an upright CO with a single metal–carbon bond. Oxygen adsorbed on Ru (001) has a single vibrational energy that can be attributed to a mode of atomic oxygen perpendicular to the surface. The variation of the frequency spectrum of CO with CO coverage and with the coverage of oxygen in coadsorption experiments is discussed in terms of direct interadsorbate interactions and indirect through-bond interactions.