Alkali-promoted CO dissociation on Cu(111) and Ni(111) at room temperature

The coadsorption of alkalis (K, Na) and CO on Cu(111) was investigated by high-resolution electron energy loss spectroscopy. Measurements performed at room temperature showed that CO adsorption is partially dissociative on a potassium-precovered Cu(111) surface and fully dissociative for Na/Cu(111). Carbon monoxide molecules occupy adsorption sites directly adjacent to those of alkali adatoms, as suggested by the absence of a threshold alkali precoverage for CO dissociation. On the contrary, for alkali+CO/Ni(111) a threshold alkali precoverage for CO dissociation was found to exist. (C) 2008 American Institute of Physics. [DOI: 10.1063/1.2996133]