Reconstructive interactions in mixed N+O layers on Rh(110)

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Abstract
The evolution of surface structures following NO dissociative adsorption on Rh(110) has been studied as a function of N+O coverage and reaction temperature using scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and low-energy electron diffraction. Static and dynamic STM measurements were performed at different stages of the reaction in order to examine (i) the growth mode of the N- and O-related structural units, (ii) the surface morphology of flat terraces and areas with a high step density, (iii) the kind and concentration of structural defects characteristic for the islands of (n×1)N and (1×n)O reconstructions, (iv) the nucleation and growth mechanisms in the initial stages of the reaction when the (1×n)N reconstruction dominates, and (v) the elementary steps involved in the conversion to a (1×2) reconstructed surface at high N+O coverages.