Evidence for a Novel Chemisorption Bond: Formate (HC<span class="aps-inline-formula"><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><mrow><msub><mrow><mi mathvariant="normal">O</mi></mrow><mrow><mn>2</mn></mrow></msub></mrow></math></span>) on Cu(100)

J. Stöhr; D. A. Outka; R. J. Madix; U. Döbler

doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.54.1256

Evidence for a Novel Chemisorption Bond: Formate (HC $O_{2}$ ) on Cu(100)

J. Stöhr, D. A. Outka, R. J. Madix, and U. Döbler

Phys. Rev. Lett. 54, 1256 – Published 25 March 1985

Abstract

Surface extended-x-ray-absorption fine-structure measurements reveal that formate (HC $O_{2}$ ) groups on Cu(100) chemisorb via the two oxygen atoms in adjacent fourfold hollow sites with an average O-Cu nearest-neighbor bond length of 2.38±0.03 Å. This distance is significantly (∼0.4 Å) longer than typical O-Cu bonds in bulk compounds and all known surface complexes. The unusually large O-Cu distance is attributed to a steric effect involving the C atom in HC $O_{2}$ and the nearest-neighbor Cu surface atoms.