skip to main content
OSTI.GOV title logo U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Title: I. Interaction of ammonia with single crystal rhodium catalysts. II. Hydrogen and nitrogen adsorption on a W(111) surface: a theoretical molecular orbital approach

Technical Report ·
DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/6461544· OSTI ID:6461544

Rates of ammonia decomposition on (110), (100), and (111) single crystal faces of rhodium were measured at 580 to 725/sup 0/K and 10/sup -3/ to 500 x 10/sup -3/ torr. The decomposition rates were proportional to P/sub NH/sub 3//sup/1/2/ and P/sub NH/sub 3// at low and high hydrogen pressures, respectively. The H/sub 2/ kinetic order varied from 0 (low P/sub H/sub 2//) to -1.0 (high P/sub H/). The rate was independent of N/sub 2/ pressure. NH/sub 3/ decomposes about 1.5 times faster than ND/sub 3/ on the (110) and (111) faces. Rates on the (110) surface are over 10 times as rapid as on the (111). LEED, Auger, and flash desorption experiments indicated that boron was a significant surface poison and that the Rh(110) surface was essentially nitrogen-free. A rate expression is derived from a model involving surface species Rh/sub 2/NH, RhH, and RhN on a nearly bare RH surface. The rate limiting process involves the concurrent dehydrogenation of Rh/sub 2/NH and desorption of N/sub 2/. A decreasing NH/sub 3/ order (< 1/2) at high P/sub NH/sub 3// and low T is due to buildup of surface intermediates. The relative bonding energies of hydrogen and nitrogen chemisorbed at three sites on a W(111) surface were obtained via the extended Hueckel molecular orbital theory. The preferred site for both H and N chemisorption was determined as the TOP position, i.e., a single coordination site on top of a protruding W atom. The W(111) surface was simulated by truncated arrays of seven tungsten atoms. The basis set for the calculations included the tungsten valence orbitals plus the filled 5p orbitals needed for repulsion at small internuclear distances. N adsorption in the three-fold holes available on the W(111) lattices used disrupted the W--W bonds sufficiently to cause the overall bond energy to be less than for the single coordination site. The dissymmetry between the three-fold lattices and the four-fold W d orbitals may also be a contributing factor.

Research Organization:
Ames Lab., Ames, IA (United States)
DOE Contract Number:
W-7405-ENG-82
OSTI ID:
6461544
Report Number(s):
IS-T-849
Resource Relation:
Other Information: Thesis
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

Similar Records

Decomposition of ammonia on rhodium crystals
Journal Article · Fri May 01 00:00:00 EDT 1981 · J. Catal.; (United States) · OSTI ID:6461544

Bonding modes of species chemisorbed on tungsten single crystal faces
Thesis/Dissertation · Sat Dec 01 00:00:00 EST 1973 · OSTI ID:6461544

Hydrogen atom and hydride transfer in the reactions of chromium(IV) and chromium(V) complexes with rhodium hydrides. Crystal structure of a superoxorhodium(III) product
Journal Article · Mon Feb 21 00:00:00 EST 2000 · Inorganic Chemistry · OSTI ID:6461544