Abstract
It has been established1–3 that oxygen chemisorbed at a metal surface can activate an otherwise unreactive molecule, as in the activation of S–H, N–H, O–H and C–H bonds. We have now extended these studies to more complex systems involving coadsorbed molecules in the hope of throwing some light on the mechanisms of heterogeneous catalysts. We have previously established the mechanisms by which unreactive molecular water, adsorbed on a Zn(0001) surface, is activated when co-adsorbed with nitric oxide4, and have demonstrated N–H activation in ammonia co-adsorbed with nitric oxide at an atomically clean Mg(0001) surface at 295 K (Fig. la and ref. 5). Activation was attributed to surface oxygen generated in the dissociative chemisorption of nitric oxide. Here we establish the nature of the ‘oxygen’ species involved and reveal details of the molecular steps.
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References
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Au, C., Roberts, M. Specific role of transient O−(s) at Mg(0001) surfaces in activation of ammonia by dioxygen and nitrous oxide. Nature 319, 206–208 (1986). https://doi.org/10.1038/319206a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/319206a0
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