The dynamics of ethylene adsorption on Pt(111) into di-σ and π-bonded states

The dynamics of ethylene adsorption on Pt(111) into both the di-sigma- and pi -bonded states were investigated at 95 and 40 K, respectively, using supersonic molecular beam techniques. The angular dependence of ethylene adsorption into both states is similar to the angular dependence for ethane adsorption, which has a much weaker bond to the surface in its final state. In contrast to ethane, high adsorption probabilities for ethylene prevail to high incident kinetic energies, suggesting that the strong interaction of ethylene with the surface influences adsorption. The initial adsorption probability of ethylene is approximately independent of surface temperature between 40 and 450 K, suggesting that there is no reversible, thermalized intrinsic precursor to adsorption. At 40 K, the adsorption probability increases with coverage (in the pi -bonded state). However, at 95 K, the adsorption probability of ethylene remains constant with increasing self-coverage (in the di-sigma- bonded state) for trajectories incident with low parallel momentum, but decreases with coverage at high parallel momentum. High parallel momentum may contribute to an increased overall scattering probability from a "hot" extrinsic precursor, resulting in a decreased net adsorption probability at higher ethylene coverage in the rigidly bound di-sigma state. (C) 2001 American Institute of Physics.