A STRUCTURAL EXAMINATION OF NITROGEN ON CU(100) AND CU(110) SURFACES

Extended electron energy loss fine structure (EXELFS) has been measured above the K-edge of nitrogen atoms adsorbed on the Cu(100) and Cu(110) surfaces. The intent of this investigation has been to determine whether the proposed reconstruction of the Cu(110) surface in the presence of nitrogen manifests itself in the local structure about the nitrogen atom. The radial distribution functions obtained from the fine structure indicate N-Cu bond lengths of 1.84 and 1.81 angstrom for nitrogen on the Cu(100) and Cu(110) surfaces, respectively. The difference is within the resolution of the experiment and does not indicate significant differences between the two adsorbate systems. The local structure about the nitrogen atoms appears to be virtually identical on both surfaces.