Reconstruction of the W(110) surface induced by hydrogen adsorption

Abstract

We report here new LEED data for the H/W(110) surface, showing that W(110) undergoes a reconstruction induced by adsorption of hydrogen above a critical coverage. The structural change consists of a lateral shift of the top layer of W atoms relative to the bulk. We also propose a driving mechanism for the transition which may be important in other chemisorption systems as well. The surfaces most likely to undergo this type of reconstruction are those with adsorption sites consisting of flat potential wells.