The interaction of water with Ni(111) and H/Ni(111) studied by TPD and HREELS

We have used temperature-programmed desorption in combination with specular and off-specular high resolution electron energy loss spectroscopy to study the interaction of H2O and D2O with the bare and hydrogen-covered Ni(111) surface. Our results for the bare metal surface agree with previous reports and we are able to relate two prominent features in vibrational spectra to nuclear motions at the surface. Pre-covering Ni(111) with hydrogen alters both adsorption and desorption of water significantly. The strong H-Ni bond does not allow for isotopic exchange with co-adsorbed D2O. Strong resemblance of desorption traces and vibrational spectra of submonolayer coverages on H-covered Ni(111) and multilayers on bare Ni(111) suggests that adsorption of hydrogen makes this nickel surface hydrophobic.