Field-induced surface chemistry of NO

Abstract

A microscopic theory of field adsorption is used to study the adsorption and reaction of NO on a Pt(111) surface in high electrostatic fields. We find that below 0.4 V/Å only NO is adsorbed stably. Above this value dissociation sets in that leads around 1.2 V/Å to the formation of N2O. A molecular orbital analysis is given of the reaction pathway and to identify the stabilization mechanism.