Amines Copper Electron energy loss spectroscopy Low index single crystal surfaces Vibrations of adsorbed molecules
The adsorption and reaction of aniline on Cu(110) was studied using a combination of high resolution electron energy loss spectroscopy (HREELS) and temperature programmed desorption (TPD). HREEL spectra with an energy resolution of ≈ 13 cm
−1 were obtained for both multilayer and monolayer aniline-derived surface species permitting a comprehensive comparison with the infrared spectra of liquid and gaseous aniline. The experimental results indicate that aniline forms randomly-oriented multilayers upon adsorption at 100 K, while at 300 K aniline adsorbs dissociatively forming stable C
6H
5NH surface species. This species decomposes between 525 and 875 K producing gaseous H
2 and N
2 and adsorbed carbon.