Direct sticking and differential adsorption heats as probes of structural transitions: O2 on the stepped Ni[211]...

Coverage-dependent heats of adsorption and sticking probabilities for oxygen on Ni[211] have been measured at 300 K using single-crystal adsorption calorimetry. The data are consistent with a switch from dissociative chemisorption at low coverage to oxide formation above 2 ML adatom coverage. The initial heat of adsorption is 620 kJ mol(-)(1), considerably higher than for any low Miller index nickel surface; this is attributed to the presence of low coordination step atoms that are preferably occupied up to 1 ML. As the coverage increases, the heat is found to drop very rapidly, indicating the presence of strong lateral adatom repulsions, which ultimately drive a transition from the chemisorption regime to oxide film formation at higher coverage. The shape of the coverage-dependent sticking probability is consistent with a direct adsorption mechanism at low coverage. At higher coverage, the transition between the chemisorption and oxidation regimes is relatively complex compared with low Miller index nickel surfaces. This is discussed in terms of the influence of the step sites on the [211] surface.