Water Dissociation and Hydroxyl Formation on Ni(110)

Nickel is an active catalyst for hydrogenation and re-forming reactions, with the reactions showing a strong dependence on the surface exposed. Here, we describe the mixed hydroxyl-water phases formed during water dissociation on Ni(110) using scanning tunneling microscopy and low-current low-energy electron diffraction. Water dissociation starts between 150 and 180 K as the H-bond structure evolves from linear one-dimensional (1D) chains of intact water into a two-dimensional (2D) network containing short rows of face-sharing hexagonal rings. As further water desorbs, the hexagonal rows adopt a local (2 × 3) arrangement, forming small, disordered domains separated by strain relief features. Decomposition of this phase occurs near 220 K to form linear 1D structures consisting of flat, zigzag water chains, with each water stabilized by donating one H to hydroxyl to form a branched chain structure. The OH-H₂O chains repel each other, with the saturation layer ordering into a (2 0, 1 4) structure that decomposes to OH near 245 K as further water desorbs. The structure of the mixed OH/H₂O phases is discussed and contrasted with those found on the related Cu(110) surface, with the differences attributed to strain in the 2D H-bond network caused by the short Ni lattice spacing and strong bond to OH/H₂O.