Transient diffusion and cluster formation of water molecules on Rh(111) at 20 K

The authors investigated the initial stage of water adsorption on Rh(111) at 20 K, using infrared reflection absorption spectroscopy. In this low coverage region, isolated water molecules and small water clusters are observed. Since thermal diffusion is suppressed at 20 K, the formation of water clusters at low coverage is controlled by both coverage and transient diffusion on the surface. Within a simple random walk model of the transient diffusion and clustering process, the authors estimate the mean lateral displacement from the first impact point to the final adsorption site to be 7.6 A; an incoming water molecule on Rh(111) is trapped with eight postcollision hops on the average.