Eley-Rideal and hot atom reactions between hydrogen atoms on Ni(100): Electronic structure and quasiclassical studies

The reactions of gas-phase H (or D) atoms with D (or H) atoms adsorbed onto a Ni(100) surface are studied. Electronic structure calculations based on density functional theory are used to examine the interaction of H atoms with the Ni(100) surface, as well as the interactions between two H atoms near the metal surface. A model potential-energy surface based on ideas from effective medium theory is fit to the results of these electronic structure calculations. Quasiclassical trajectory methods are used to simulate the interaction of low energy H and D atom beams with H and D-covered Ni(100) surfaces. It is found that hot-atom processes dominate the formation of molecular hydrogen. The distribution of energy in the product molecules is examined with regard to the various pathways available for reaction. The initial adsorbate coverage is varied and is shown to control the relative amounts of reflection, reaction, sticking, and subsurface penetration. Our results are compared with those from similar studies on Cu(111) and available experimental data for Ni(100). (C) 2001 American Institute of Physics.