Nature of nitrogen adsorbed on transition metal surfaces as revealed by electron spectroscopy and cognate techniques

Rao, CNR and Rao, GR (1991) Nature of nitrogen adsorbed on transition metal surfaces as revealed by electron spectroscopy and cognate techniques. In: Surface Science Reports, 13 (7). pp. 221-263.

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Abstract

The nature of the chemisorbed states of nitrogen on various transition metal surfaces is discussed comprehensively on the basis of the results of electron spectroscopic investigations augmented by those from other techniques such as LEED and thermal desorption. A brief discussion of the photoemission spectra of free N2, a comparison of adsorbed N2 and CO as well as of physisorption of N2 on metal surfaces is also presented. We discuss the chemisorption of N2 on the surfaces of certain metals (e.g. Ni, Fe, Ru and W) in some detail, paying considerable attention to the effect of electropositive and electronegative surface modifiers. Features of the various chemisorbed states (one or more weakly chemisorbed gamma-states, strongly chemisorbed alpha-states with bond orders between 1 and 2. and dissociative chemisorbed beta-states) on different surfaces are described and relations between them indicated. While the gamma-state could be a precursor of the alpha-state, the alpha-state could be the precursor of the beta-state and this kind of information is of direct relevance to ammonia synthesis. The nature of adsorption of N2 on the surfaces of some metals (e.g. Cr, Co) deserves further study and such investigations might as well suggest alternative catalysts for ammonia synthesis.

Item Type:	Editorials/Short Communications
Publication:	Surface Science Reports
Publisher:	Elsevier science
Additional Information:	Copyright of this article belongs to Elsevier science.
Department/Centre:	Division of Chemical Sciences > Solid State & Structural Chemistry Unit
Date Deposited:	26 Nov 2010 09:02
Last Modified:	26 Oct 2018 07:18
URI:	http://eprints.iisc.ac.in/id/eprint/34006

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