Molecule-induced displacive reconstruction in a substrate surface: Ethylidyne adsorbed on Rh(111) studied by low-energy-electron diffraction

A. Wander; M. A. Van Hove; G. A. Somorjai

doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.67.626

Molecule-induced displacive reconstruction in a substrate surface: Ethylidyne adsorbed on Rh(111) studied by low-energy-electron diffraction

A. Wander, M. A. Van Hove, and G. A. Somorjai

Phys. Rev. Lett. 67, 626 – Published 29 July 1991

Abstract

It is found for the first time that a molecule can induce a displacive reconstruction in the substrate on which it is adsorbed. This is observed in a refined structure determination of Rh(111)(2×2)- $C_{2}$ $H_{3}$ , in which $C_{2}$ $H_{3}$ (ethylidyne) is adsorbed on the Rh(111) single-crystal surface. This result strengthens an earlier hypothesis that catalytic reactions are usually accompanied by distortions in the catalyst, which can profoundly affect reaction rates and selectivities.

Received 30 April 1991

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.67.626

Authors & Affiliations

A. Wander, M. A. Van Hove, and G. A. Somorjai

Center for Advanced Materials, Materials Sciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory, and Department of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720