Lateral potential energy surfaces for molecular chemisorption on metals from experiment and theory: NO on Pt{110}-(1x2)

The suppression of diffusion of chemisorbed species at very low temperature s is exploited, using infrared spectroscopy, to determine local minima and diffusion barriers in the lateral potential energy surface for adsorption. These are compared with results from density functional theory slab calcula tions. This methodology provides the first detailed lateral potential energ y surface for the chemisorption of NO, on Pt{110}-(1 x 2). (C) 1999 Elsevie r Science B.V. All rights reserved.