CHARGE-EXCHANGE PROCESSES AND SURFACE-CHEMISTRY

The inelastic interaction of slow ions with metal surfaces is dominated by charge exchange processes. The ions are neutralized with high efficiency when approaching the surface. In many cases not only neutral atoms or molecules will be formed, but also the affinity levels of the particles will be filled. In cases where these negative ions are surviving through the collision a new approach to study surface chemical reactions seems to be possible. Since there is ample evidence that negative molecular states play an important role in surface reactions the fast ion beam or fast molecular beam technique may afford additional insight into some technically relevant surface reactions like the dissociation of CO2 or the reverse reaction the oxidation of CO.