The interaction of hydrogen with simple and noble metals surfaces

Abstract

The basic concepts of adsorption are illustrated by the investigation of a simple adsorbate (hydrogen) with the simplest metals (simple and noble metals). Theoretically tractable, these systems serve as an excellent test of our basic understanding of chemisorption. The interaction of atomic and molecular hydrogen with the surfaces of Mg(0001), Mg(1120), Li(110), K(110), Ag(110), and Ag(111) have been studied with a variety of experimental probes. In all cases, no evidence for H\sb2 associative or dissociative adsorption is observed at the substrate temperature investigated $(\geq$90 K). In the case of the simple metals below 150 K, atomic hydrogen is bound to the surfaces in a strongly chemisorbed state (hydride). For Mg and Li, the hydride is localized to the surface wherein the substrate electron density is lower than the bulk. Because of the low electron density, hydrogen is absorbed into the bulk of K at low temperatures and forms a bulk-hydride phase. However, these low-temperature phases are metastable. In the case of Mg, hydrogen moves into lower energy configuration bonding sites which are closer to or below the surface plane. However, the hydride characteristics are absent; the H atom is effectively screened because of the higher jellium density. In contrast, upon annealing, hydrogen is absorbed into the bulk of Li and K and phase separation occurs forming regions of clean metal and bulk hydride areas. The results are compared to theoretical studies; the propensity for absorption over adsorption is understood in terms of jellium-based models. In the case of silver, at 100 K, atomic hydrogen bonds in trigonal sites on both the (110) and (111) surfaces. As a function of H concentration, a sequence of lattice gas superstructures is observed; these phases are accompanied by small H-induced displacements of the substrate surface atoms. In the case of Ag(110), the low-temperature phase is metastable; upon annealing, hydrogen desorption from low energy states is accompanied by a surface reconstruction. Although silver is a noble metal, many of the H-induced properties are characteristic of similar H/transition systems