The growth process of first water layer and crystalline ice on the Rh(111) surface

Abstract

The adsorption states and growth process of the first layer and multilayer of water (D(2)O) on Rh(111) above 135 K were investigated using infrared reflection absorption spectroscopy (IRAS), temperature programed desorption, spot-profile-analysis low-energy electron diffraction, and scanning tunneling microscopy (STM). At the initial stage, water molecules form commensurate ( radical3x radical3)R30 degrees islands, whose size is limited for several hexagonal units; the average diameter is approximately 2.5 nm. This two-dimensional (2D) island includes D-down species, and free OD species exist at the island edge. With increasing coverage, the D-up species starts to appear in IRAS. At higher coverages, the 2D islands are connected in STM images. By the titration of Xe adsorption we estimated that the D-down domain occupies about 55% on Rh(111) at the saturation coverage. Further adsorption of water molecules forms three-dimensional ice crystallites on the first water layer; thus, the growth mode of crystalline water layers on Rh(111) is a Stranski-Krastanov type. We have found that an ice crystallite starts to grow on D-down domains and the D-down species do not reorient upon the formation of a crystalline ice.

A unified study for water adsorption on metals: meaningful models from structural motifs

“…33 The larger adsorption of an isolated water molecule found for Ag 5 justifies this difference. The trends found for Rh 34 and Ir(111) are in line with the observation of continuous molecular water layers on both Rh 34 and Ir(111). Paper PCCP…”

Intrinsic reconstruction of ice-I surfaces

“…2A), whereas ice layers homogenously covered the Pt substrate ( Fig. 2D) in good agreement with the literature (26)(27)(28)(29). In contrast to the morphological difference, ncAFM images of the terraces for both ice layers show a rather similar appearance ( Fig.…”

“…1A ). Ice on Rh(111) retains its intrinsic property ( 7 , 26 , 27 ); however, at the ice-Pt(111) interface, H atoms tend to point toward the substrate, causing ferroelectricity ( 9 , 29 ). The polarization of the H-atom orientation decays with the ice BL distance from the interface ( 9 , 29 ).…”

The role of lattice parameter in water adsorption and wetting of a solid surface

“…All the other pure metal surfaces show a water desorption peak at 170 K or above, followed by the appearance of a second multilayer peak at lower temperature as the water coverage is increased and multilayers form. LEED and helium atom scattering also provide evidence for the formation of extended 2D water films on Ni(111), 14 Rh(111) 33,34 and Pt(111) 12,13,19,35 surfaces. In each case the simple metal LEED pattern is replaced by a complex diffraction pattern indicating formation of a 2D water network with a large unit cell.…”