To expand previous investigations about the adsorption of H2O on a ste
pped Ni(s)(111) surface with nominal (221) orientation, the adsorption
of H2O on a stepped Ni(s)(111) with nominal (11 119) orientation was
studied in the present paper. The surfaces exhibit the same (111)-terr
ace and (111BAR)-step orientation but they differ in the terrace width
, which is about three times greater for Ni(11 119) than for Ni(221).
The adsorption was studied with thermal desorption spectroscopy (TDS),
low energy electron diffraction (LEED) as well as work function chang
e measurements (DELTAphi). The LEED data from the clean Ni(s)(111) sur
face are consistent with the atomic arrangement expected for the ''ide
al'' non-reconstructed (11 11 9) surface. In TDS experiments five deso
rption states denoted as A (T(M) = 155-160 K), B (T(M) = 174-177 K), C
(T(M) = 225 K), D and E (T(M) = 260 and 325 K) were found. A and B ex
ist at similar temperatures on flat Ni(111) as well as Ni(221) and are
assigned to adsorption of H2O clusters at terrace sites (B) or adsorp
tion of ice multilayers (A). The step-induced states C, D and E, which
were found at higher temperatures, are related to the adsorption of H
2O monomers at steps (C) and the recombination of dissociation product
s (D and E). As expected, the amount of H2O molecules adsorbed at step
sites as well as the contribution by step molecules to the work funct
ion change is about three times smaller than for Ni(221), correspondin
g to the lower step density of Ni(11 119). At higher coverages terrace
sites are occupied by H2O Molecules developing a modified bilayer str
ucture. Between 120 and 150 K a (square-root 3 x square-root 3)R30-deg
rees structure, which has also been found on other flat surfaces with
hexagonal symmetry, could be observed. Upon heating to 160 K the LEED
pattern changed into a (2 x 2) structure. This behaviour is believed t
o be due to a temperature- and coverage-induced reordering of state B.