SEXAFS analysis of the Cu(110)-(2 × 3)-N structure

Surface-extended X-ray-absorption fine-structure measurements have been performed on the Cu(110)-(2 × 3)-N system. The data are consistent with a structural model in which nitrogen chemisorbs on a pseudo-(100) reconstructed and largely corrugated surface. The N-Cu bond length measures 1.89±0.03A. Nitrogen chemisorbs in five-fold coordinated sites close to the local plane formed by the four neighbouring surface Cu atoms. The reconstructed first Cu layer shows a corrugation of 0.64 Å (or 50% of the bulk interlayer spacing). Structural models with long-bridge adsorption sites can be safely excluded