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Updated: Apr 26, 2026

A Method to Manipulate Surface Tension of a Liquid Metal via Surface Oxidation and Reduction
Published on: January 26, 2016
CO (a3Π) quenching at a metal surface: Evidence of an electron transfer mediated mechanism
Fabian Grätz1, Daniel P Engelhart1, Roman J V Wagner1
1Max-Planck-Institut Für Biophysikalische Chemie, Karl Friedrich-Bonhoeffer-Institut, Am Fassberg 11, 37077 Göttingen, Germany.
Abstract:
We observe a strong influence of molecular vibration and surface temperature on electron emission promoted by the de-excitation of metastable CO(a(3)Π) on a clean Au(111) surface using a molecular beam surface scattering apparatus. The de-excitation is independent of incidence translational energy. These observations appear incompatible with existing theories of metastable particle de-excitation on metal surfaces, which are based on the Auger effect. Instead, they strongly suggest a mechanism involving formation of a transient anion whose lifetime is similar to the vibrational period of the CO molecule.
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