THE BONDING, STRUCTURE AND REACTIONS OF CO2 ADSORBED ON CLEAN AND PROMOTED METAL-SURFACES

The characteristics of the adsorption and reactions of CO2 on Rh, Pd, Pt, Ni, Fe, Cu, Re, Al, Mg and Ag metals are discussed with particular emphasis on the activation of the CO2 molecule. Strong spectroscopic evidence is presented for the formation of negatively charged CO2-, which - depending on the nature of the metal - may dissociate into CO and O, or transform into CO3 + CO. The presence of surface adatoms dramatically influences the adsorption and reactivity of CO2. Alkali adatoms increase the binding energy of adsorbed CO2, promote the dissociation and/or the transformation of CO2 into CO3 + O. In the presence of preadsorbed oxygen the formation of carbonate of different structures predominates.