This paper presents electron energy loss spectra (EELS) and thermal desorption (TDS) traces following the adsorption and subsequent annealing of water on Al(100), with and without the presence of a surface oxide. A water molecule will in both cases either (1) reversibly bind at a hydrogen-bonded site or (2) decompose, preferentially to a surface-bound hydroxyl species.The H20 dissociation occurs via H2 evolution only on the bare surface and also via hydrogen abstraction in the presence of a surface oxide. Neither dihydrogen nor water desorption are observed as the hydroxyl species diminish during annealing.Instead, the aluminum hydroxide transforms into aluminum oxide and "trapped" hydrogen atoms, depicted as an Al/A10x hydride.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.