Surface species studied by angle-resolved product desorption: Emission mechanism and spatial distribution

Recent progress and future developments in angle-resolved measurements of desorbing surface reaction products are reviewed for the analysis of surface species. Spatial and energy distributions of desorbing products with hyperthermal energy deliver the most direct structural information of the transition state including active intermediates and product formation sites. Knowledge of the desorption mechanism is requisite to achieve structural information since the method is directly linked to the chemical process. Structural analyses are exemplified in photoinduced O2 desorption and CO oxidation, and compared with those from thermal N2O decomposition and CO oxidation as well as their applications to steady-state catalytic processes.