An experimental study on adsorption of benzene on Co(0 0 0 1)

The adsorption of benzene on Co(0 0 0 1) was studied by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, temperature programmed desorption, low energy electron diffraction (LEED) and work function measurements. The adsorption was found to be molecular at room temperature and to saturate at a fractional coverage of 0.125 ML. With LEED a c(23×4) overlayer structure was seen. Below 220 K at high exposures a p(7×7)R19° LEED pattern was observed corresponding to a coverage of 0.143 ML. Temperature programmed desorption measurements stated that benzene starts to decompose around 340 K to hydrogen and a hydrocarbon fragment, most likely C6H5. While the hydrogen desorbed, the hydrocarbon stayed at the surface. The desorption of molecular benzene was negligible. The activation energy for the dehydrogenation was calculated to be about 102 kJ/mol. The work function of Co(0 0 0 1) decreased by 1.3 eV upon saturation with benzene. The induced dipole moment was calculated to be 1.9 Debye/molecule.