REACTIONS OF PULSED-LASER EVAPORATED LITHIUM ATOMS WITH O-2 AND N2O

Pulsed laser evaporated Li atoms were codeposited with O-2 in excess a rgon at 12 K. The same LiO2 and LiO2Li products were observed that wer e formed with thermal Li atoms. However, with N2O the LiO product was observed in contrast to thermal Li atom reactions. Excess kinetic ener gy in the laser evaporated Li atoms provided activation energy for the abstraction reaction. In addition the extremely large yield of O-4(-) observed in O-2 experiments provides evidence for photoelectron emiss ion from the lithium metal surface.