Methanol on Co(0 0 0 1): XPS, TDS, WF and LEED results

Abstract The adsorption and decomposition of methanol on clean Co(0 0 0 1) was studied as a function of temperature and exposure by means of TDS (thermal desorption spectroscopy), XPS (X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy), WF (work function measurements) and LEED (low energy electron diffraction). Methanol was adsorbed by OH-bond scission as methoxide on the cobalt surface. TD and XP spectra revealed that beside a small amount of molecularly desorbing methanol, it decomposed during heating to the final products: CO and H 2 . Desorption of H 2 took place around 356 K and desorption of CO around 390 K. These temperatures are characteristic for desorption of these species on clean cobalt. Work function measurements showed that the adsorption of methanol resulted in a lowering of the WF by