hide
Free keywords:
single crystal surfaces; adsorption; heterogeneous catalysis
Abstract:
The interaction of a diatomic molecule with a well-defined single crystal surface represents the prototype of elementary processes involved in heterogeneous catalysis and can be studied down to atomic length and extremely short (femtosecond) time-scales. Our present understanding is illustrated by examples concerning the activation of hydrogen (including also the breakdown of thermal equilibrium during rapid laser-induced associative desorption), the role of steps as ‘active sites’ in the dissociative adsorption of NO or N2, and the mechanism and kinetics of the catalytic oxidation of CO.
