Vibrational spectra of chemisorbed NO2 and condensed N2O4 on the Ru(001) surface

Abstract

Vibrational electron energy loss spectroscopy combined with thermal desorption mass spectrometry have been used to investigate the adsorption and decomposition of NO2 on the Ru(001) surface. The results indicate that the initial NO2 adsorption is dissociative at 80 K. The reaction products, molecularly adsorbed NO and atomically adsorbed oxygen, passivate the surface, and subsequent (submonolayer) adsorption is molecular. The molecularly adsorbed NO2 is bound weakly (∼9 kcal/mol) through the nitrogen atom with C2v symmetry. With increasing exposure, the formation of N2O4 dimers in the condensed multilayer is observed.