Calorimetric studies of NO on Ni{2 1 1}: criteria for switching from dissociative to molecular adsorption

The coverage-dependent heats of adsorption and sticking probabilities in the interaction of nitric oxide with clean and oxygen pre-covered Ni{2 1 1} surfaces have been measured at 300 K using single crystal adsorption calorimetry. The results are consistent with a switch from dissociative to molecular chemisorption at 1 ML of O plus N adatoms. Initial dissociative adsorption is attributed to step sites with a heat of 400 kJ mol−1. When steps are saturated with adatoms, adsorption proceeds molecularly with a heat of 160 kJ mol−1. With 0.24 ML oxygen adatom pre-coverage, the initial heat is only 250 kJ mol−1 and with 0.6 ML oxygen adatom, NO adsorption is only molecular with an initial heat of 160 kJ mol−1. The NO sticking probability behaviour is consistent with this picture, with successive precursor mediated adsorption at step and terrace sites. The inhibition of dissociation above O, or O plus N, adatom coverages of 1 ML is attributed to the strong lateral repulsive interactions between adatoms, which would drive the dissociative heat of adsorption below that of molecular adsorption at higher coverages.